GameDay Preview

ST. PETER, Minn. — A year ago, Andrew Rangitsch (Oakdale, Minn.) set a school record, winning his first five matches during the opening day of the Midwest Open, hosted by Gustavus.

Friday, Blake Olmscheid (Farmington, Minn.) thought he'd give Rangitsch's record a run for its money.

The Cardinal sophomore kicked off play in the 2014 Midwest Open with a 6-4, 0-6, 10-8 victory over UW-Eau Claire's Luke Zweiner, and followed that up with a 6-0, 6-3 triumph over Jacob Kubler of Bethany Lutheran. Olmscheid's run, however, came to a screeching halt in the third round, falling 6-2, 7-5.

Gavin Smith (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Andrew Johnson (Rochester, Minn.) and Collin Kaczorowski (Suamico, Wis.) didn't fare as well in singles play Friday, as Smith and Johnson fell 6-4, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1, respectively at the Midwest Open, while Kaczorowski dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision to St. Norbert's Travis Buechel at the USTA-ITA Midwest Regional Championships, also held at Gustavus.

Smith and Johnson came up empty in doubles play as well, falling 9-7 to Bethel's James Ferrier-Kolin Kiekhoefer. Kaczorowski and Olmscheid were forced to default their opening-round doubles match due to cramping by Olmscheid.