The Maharishi International University men’s tennis team delivered a dominant performance at the Central Invitational on Saturday, posting an impressive 17-1 record in singles competition and 9-1 in doubles to finish the tournament with 26 total wins and just two losses.

Competing at Central College in Pella, Iowa, the Pioneers faced a strong field that included Grinnell College, Missouri Baptist University, Grand View University, Cornell College, Missouri Valley College, and Central College.

“It was a great day to be a Pioneer. Our men’s team played like champions and I am very proud of our overall performances.”

— MIU head coach Eric Sturgis

From the opening rounds, MIU established its presence across all three singles flights, consistently producing strong results against players from throughout the field.

In Flight A, Jared Escobar opened the tournament with a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Grinnell’s Alex Doane before returning to defeat Gervase Ngo, also of Grinnell, 6-2, 6-1. Lorenzo Lazarte battled through a three-set match against Grinnell’s Joshua Kruger, earning a 5-7, 6-4, 10-6 comeback victory.

J. Arango Restrepo also delivered a strong three-set performance, defeating Missouri Valley’s Felix Ortola 6-1, 5-7, 10-6.

The Pioneers continued their success in Flight B. Tomas Kurtz Cardoso earned a victory over Grinnell’s Keigo Kamata after Kamata retired, then followed with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over Missouri Valley’s Sam Andreu.

Ignacio Romero was equally impressive, defeating Cornell’s Henry Lambley 6-2, 6-1 before cruising past Drew Campbell 6-0, 6-1. Katlego Regeong added a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Central’s David Gonzalez.

Flight C featured another strong showing from the Pioneers. Renzo Gianzanti opened with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Missouri Baptist’s Alex Senica and later defeated Drew Black 7-5, 1-6, 10-5 in a hard-fought three-set match.

Yousr Damiri earned a decisive 6-0, 6-2 victory over Cornell’s Eric Dirksmeyer, while Juani Luccione posted two dominant wins, defeating Central’s Aaron Meinders 6-2, 6-0 and Donovan Klish 6-3, 6-0.

The Pioneers were just as effective in doubles competition, finishing 9-1 across the three flights.

Tomas Kurtz Cardoso and Nicolas Quercia recorded two victories in Flight A, defeating Grinnell 6-2 before taking down Central 6-4. Jared Escobar and J. Arango Restrepo also went undefeated, earning victories over Central 6-4 and Cornell 7-5.

In Flight B, Ignacio Romero and Lorenzo Lazarte posted two commanding victories, defeating Grinnell 6-3 before shutting out Cornell 6-0. Katlego Regeong and Juani Luccione also recorded multiple wins, including a 6-1 victory over Central and a 6-0 result in the second round.

In Flight C, Renzo Gianzanti and Yousr Damiri opened with a 6-3 victory over Central before finishing the tournament with their only loss, falling 6-3 to Grinnell.

With a combined 26 victories and only two losses, the Pioneers showed impressive depth throughout the lineup and continued to build momentum during the fall season.

MIU head coach Eric Sturgis expressed his pride in the team’s performance durign the tournament.

“It was a great day to be a Pioneer. Our men’s team played like champions and I am very proud of our overall performances.”

What’s next

The Pioneers will carry the momentum from their dominant performance in Pella into their next competition as they continue their fall tennis schedule.
Next tournament: Simpson College
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues da Silva is the sports editor for MIU News and the Sports Information and Creative Director for the MIU Athletics Department.