MIAC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Four Saint John's University tennis student-athletes earned a total of six All-MIAC honors and head coach Jack Bowe was named the MIAC Steve Wilkinson Coach of the Year on Wednesday, May 8. 

Senior Ryan Meger (Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi) and sophomore Thomas Gillach (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) achieved the distinction in singles competition, while Gillach, Meger, senior Jonah Punnoose (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and sophomore Nate Jordre (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) earned the honor in doubles play. Senior Hunter Krebsbach (St. Paul, Minn./Mounds View) was named to the MIAC All-Sportsmanship team.

The All-MIAC distinction in singles play is the third consecutive for Meger, who totaled a 6-3 record in conference play (8-9 overall), including a 6-1 mark at No. 3. Gillach led SJU in singles wins (12) and posted a 6-3 record in conference play to earn his second straight All-MIAC honor. 

The doubles award is the second consecutive for Gillach, Jordre and Punnoose. Gillach (14-6 overall) and Jordre (12-2) went 12-2 with an 11-1 record (6-1 MIAC) at No. 1 doubles. The duo won nine of their last 10 matches, including an 8-6 upset of Carleton's Jordon O'Kelly and Leo Vithoontien, who are the third-ranked doubles team in the Central Region, May 2 in the MIAC semifinals. 

Meger and Punnoose totaled a 10-4 record in 2019, including a 9-3 (6-1 MIAC) mark at No. 2. 

The MIAC Coach of the Year honor is the second for Bowe, who ended his 22nd season as the Johnnies' head coach in 2019. He earned the award in 2003, as well as on the women's side as head coach at Saint Benedict, where he led the Bennies for seven seasons (1991-97), in 1993.

Krebsbach registered a 6-3 MIAC record (7-9 overall) this spring in singles competition, including a 5-2 mark at No. 5, and went 7-9 (5-4 MIAC) in doubles play.

SJU tied for third in the MIAC with a 6-3 record (9-9 overall) to earn its fourth consecutive trip to the MIAC Playoffs and 10th in the last 13 seasons.