Kimbrough fifth, Tigers eighth at T.J. Invitational

Nevada Daily Mail

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Nevada's Ryan Kimbrough finished fifth in No. 1 singles and teammate Justdan Lockwood was sixth at No. 2, as the Nevada Tiger tennis team finished eighth as a team during the Thomas Jefferson Invitational Friday.

Kimbrough lost his opening match to eventual champion William Humphreys of Thomas Jefferson, 8-0, to put him in the consolation bracket.

From there Kimbrough won out, knocking off Webb City's Brayton Rand and Fort Scott's Stephen Buntain in the process.

Kimbrough beat Rand convincingly, 8-1, avenging a loss earlier this season to the Cardinals' top player.

Kimbrough then edged the best Fort Scott has to offer when he got by Buntain 8-6.

Lockwood also lost his tournament opener playing in the No. 2 singles bracket.

Neosho's Spencer Farley beat Lockwood 8-1, sending him to the consolation side of the tournament.

Lockwood knocked off Carthage's Justice Sanchez 8-3, pitting him against Webb City's Randon Coffey. Despite already defeating Coffey once this season, Lockwood was given all he could handle as Coffey took the match 9-8.

In doubles, Nevada struggled. The team of Taylor Hall and Jake Holmes beat a team from Webb City 9-8 in the play-in round, but were bounced from there by Thomas Jefferson's team 8-0. The T.J. team went on to win the No. 1 doubles title.

In No. 2 doubles, Nevada's Erik DeLaney and Devin Ozkal lost a pair of matches to Fort Scott and Springfield Catholic.

There were eight teams in the tournament with Thomas Jefferson taking the team title. Joplin was a close second.

Nevada's tennis team is scheduled to host Carthage today in a team dual beginning at 4:30 p.m.