ST. PETER, Minn. — Talk about starting the season with a bang.
 
Tim Wolford (Maple Grove, Minn.) kicked off his USTA/ITA Regional Championships in impressive fashion Friday, as the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota junior collected a straight-set, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Hamline's David Yanagita at Gustavus' Swanson Tennis Center.
 
And the Cardinal junior wasn't done there, as Wolford bounced 17th-seeded Brady Radermacher of St. Thomas, rallying from a set down to post a 3-6, 6-0, 11-9 victory—and set up a third-round showdown with top-seeded Jake Humphreys of UW-Whitewater.
 
That, however, would be the end of Wolford's run, as he fell to Humphreys 6-0, 6-2.
 
Brett Giesen (Cato, Wis.)—making his collegiate debut in a Cardinal uniform—did Wolford's effort one better at the Gustavus Midwest Open, reaching the tournament's fourth round of the Gustavus Midwest Open. The Saint Mary's freshman, who had a walk-over due to injury to reach the second round, picked up his first collegiate victory with a three-set, 5-7, 6-4, 10-4 victory in the second round, then added a 6-2, 6-3 victory in the third to reach the fourth round.
 
Unfortunately, Wolford and Giesen's teammates—Warren Lawrenz (Rochester, Minn.), Collin Kaczorowski (Suamico, Wis.) and Brenden Amiotte (Rapid City, S.D.), Alex Zuzek (Hastings, Minn.), Garen Merritt (Sioux City, Iowa), Alex Holm (Red Wing, Minn.) and Blake Olmscheid (Farmington, Minn.)—weren't as fortunate as their Cardinal teammate in their first-round matches of the Gustavus Midwest Open.
 
Holm, making his collegiate debut, suffered a heartbreaking, 2-6, 6-3, 12-10 setback to Grinnell's Ameer Shujjah, while Lawrenz, Kaczorowski, Zuzek, Merritt and Olmscheid all fell in straight sets.
 
Wolford and Kaczorowski teamed up in doubles at the USTA/ITA, dropping an 8-6 decision in their opening-round match.
 
At the Gustavus Midwest Open, Olmscheid and Amiotte, who received a bye in the first round, posted a 9-8 (4) win in the second round, while Zuzek and Holm posted back-to-back 9-7 victories to reach the third round. Lawrenz and Merritt were not as fortunate, falling 8-0 in their first-round match.
 
The tournament continues Saturday at the Swanson Tennis Center on the Gustavus campus.