Ohio State tennis teams post top-five wins

Wow, what a weekend for Ohio State tennis. After both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the ITA Indoor Championships in January, both squads posted wins over top-five opponents this past weekend.

Kicking things off, the 12th-ranked women’s team posted a 4-2 win over No. 5 Duke Friday night in Columbus. In doubles, after splitting matches on the first two courts, the tandem of redshirt junior Shiori Fukuda and freshman Irina Cantos Siemers came away with a 6-2 win to take the doubles point.

The Buckeyes won their first two singles matches from redshirt freshman Kathleen Jones and 11th-ranked Fukuda, but Duke took the next two courts to bring the team score to 3-2. Finally, a win by redshirt senior Danielle Wolf in a third-set tiebreaker gave Ohio State the win.

With the win, the women’s team improves to 3-0 on the season, with all wins coming over ranked opponents. Next up, the Buckeyes head to Chicago for the ITA Indoor Championships, with the draws scheduled to be announced early this week.

Not to be outdone, the sixth-ranked men’s team faced No. 1 Texas in Columbus Saturday, coming away with a 4-1 victory over the top team in the country. The Buckeyes started early, taking the doubles point with wins from the duo of redshirt senior Kyle Seelig and freshman Cannon Kingsley (6-4) and the No. 2-ranked team of junior John McNally and freshman Robert Cash (6-4).

In singles matches, Seelig, the 28th-ranked singles player nationally, set the tone with a 6-0, 6-2 win. No. 40 James Trotter and Cash also won in straight sets to secure the win for Ohio State.

Next up for 6-0 Ohio State, the men’s team faces No. 25 Arizona State Friday and No. 3 USC Sunday in Columbus.

Off to the races

Women’s track and field hasn’t slowed down in the early weeks of the 2020 season — literally. Junior Anavia Battle earned the nation’s top ranking in the 200-meter dash following her performance in the Texas Tech Invitational in Lubbock this weekend. Battle’s time of 22.86 seconds doesn’t quite beat her own record of 22.80 set last season, but it was good enough to take the top spot at the races this weekend.

Senior Alexus Pyles also took home the gold in the pentathlon with a personal record 4040 points. For the men, freshman jumper Shaun Williams Jr. was second in the high jump with a 2.09-meter effort.

In the pool — in the final dual meet of the season — Ohio State swimming and diving posted wins in 15 races and four diving competitions on the road at Pitt as part of the Big Ten - ACC Challenge. The seventh-ranked women’s squad was particularly dominant, earning gold in 10 races while the No. 14 men held the top spots in five.

Recap from the ice

No. 5 Ohio State women’s ice hockey went 1-0-1 in its conference series against Bemidji State this weekend. In Friday night’s opener, the Buckeyes earned a dominant, 7-2 victory over the Beavers. Sophomore Gabby Rosenthal led scorers with two goals and an assist in the matchup. Saturday’s matchup held a bit more drama. After ending regulation tied two-all, junior forward Emma Maltais scored the crucial shootout goal to give the Buckeyes the league point after the tie.

With the wins, the Buckeyes improve to 17-6-5 on the year, including 10-4-3 in WCHA play. Next, Ohio State hits the road to take on No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth.

Ohio State men’s ice hockey split its weekend series with rival Michigan in Ann Arbor. In the Friday night opener, the 11th-ranked Buckeyes fell 4-3. Saturday, Ohio State went ahead by two goals early, ultimately securing a 4-1 victory. With the series in the books, the Buckeyes finished the regular season with a 16-9-3 overall record, including 9-7-2 in the Big Ten. Next up, the Buckeyes return home to face Penn State.

In other news…

• After a tough loss to Maryland Thursday, Ohio State women’s basketball bounced back with an 80-74 overtime victory against Nebraska on the road Sunday. Even more impressive, the Buckeyes earned the W after being down 15 at the half. Junior guard Braxtin Miller led the Buckeyes in scoring with 17 points on the day, but she was not alone in her efforts. Five Buckeyes in all scored in double figures, while three recorded double-doubles on the day. After Sunday’s game, Ohio State improved to 12-9 on the season, including a 5-5 mark in conference play. Next, the Buckeyes have another road test against Illinois Thursday.
• Men’s volleyball went 2-0 on the weekend as the Buckeyes swept both Saint Francis and No. 7 Penn State on the road in straight sets. With the wins, Ohio State moves to 8-1 on the year, and looks to keep the momentum going when the team returns to Columbus this weekend to face UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State.
• After a strong performance against Maryland Friday, in which the Buckeyes ran away with a 43-3 victory, No. 3 Ohio State wrestling fell 19-14 on the road against Nebraska. With the loss, the Buckeyes fall to 9-3 in dual matches on the season, including a 5-2 mark in the Big Ten. However, there were some bright spots as senior Luke Pletcher and redshirt freshman Sammy Sasso won the 141-pound and 149-pound bouts, respectively. Next up, the Buckeyes return home to face Northwestern in the Covelli Center.
• No. 12 Ohio State men’s lacrosse opens its 2020 campaign Tuesday against Detroit Mercy at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Ohio State was picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches’ Poll behind Penn State, Maryland and Johns Hopkins.
• West Virginia edged Ohio State rifle 4,710-4,652 Saturday in Columbus, but the Buckeyes will have to wait a couple weeks for redemption, as they won’t be back in action until Feb. 15 in the Patriot Rifle Conference Championship in Fort Worth.
• Ohio State pistol had a much better day, overcoming North Dakota State 6,708-6.088 in Fargo. The Buckeyes will be back at it this weekend when they host the Collegiate Pistol Sectionals in Columbus.
• Ohio State fencing also posted a dominant performance this weekend in the Northwestern Duals, facing Stanford, Air Force, Incarnate Word, UC San Diego, Detroit Mercy, Temple and, of course, Northwestern. The Buckeyes recorded seven wins on day one of the tournament, and added nine more on day two.
• Fifth-ranked men’s gymnastics fell to No. 6 Michigan in Columbus Saturday afternoon by a score of 409.600-408.500. Despite the loss, the Buckeyes took first place in floor and vault. They’ll have a chance to rebound this weekend in a marquee road meet with No. 14 Arizona State, No. 2 Stanford and No. 9 California in Phoenix.
• Women’s gymnastics did not fare much better. Taking the floor Saturday night in Columbus, the Buckeyes fell to No. 8 Minnesota 197.400-195.550. Ohio State tied for first on vault. The Buckeyes look to bounce back Sunday on the road at No. 8 Michigan.