Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Wartburg Results | La Crosse Results

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Saint John's tennis opened the 2025 season by splitting a pair of neutral-site matches on Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Rochester Athletic Club.

The Johnnies (1-1 overall) started the day with a 6-1 win over Wartburg (Iowa) before falling to Wisconsin-La Crosse by a 5-2 score.

SJU won two of the three doubles matches for the single team point against the Knights (5-6 overall), who claimed No. 3 by the tie-breaker (7-6/7-4). Seniors Cooper Anderson (St. Paul, Minn./White Bear Lake) and Ryan Will (Northfield, Minn.) posted a 6-4 victory at No. 1 and sophomores Alex Draeger (Litchfield, Minn.) and Sam Wolden (St. Louis Park, Minn.) cruised to a 6-1 win at No. 2.

Three Johnnies – Will (No. 1), Draeger (No. 6) and junior Josh Peterson (No. 5; Perham, Minn.) – recorded straight-set wins in singles play, while Wolden claimed No. 2 when his opponent retired ahead 6-0, 3-0. The two teams split the other two matches via the super-breaker. Anderson fell at No. 3 (7-6, 4-6, 11-9) and junior Taylor Duncan (Benson, Minn.) won at No. 4 (6-0, 5-7, 10-6).

Will and freshman Cole Haabala (Alexandria, Minn.) provided SJU's wins against La Crosse (9-2 overall). Will completed his 2-0 day with a straight-set win (6-4, 6-0) at No. 1 and Haabala came out victorious in his collegiate debut, thanks to the super-breaker, at No. 6 (1-6, 6-2, 10-6).

The Johnnies open conference play with a 3 p.m. match against St. Olaf on Sunday, March 9, at the West Hills Tennis and Fitness Center in Owatonna.