MERION STATION, Pa. – Sophomores Tim Stierle and Dan Tan earned singles flight titles as the Saint Joseph's men's tennis team concluded play at the eighth annual SJU Invitational at the SJU Tennis Complex on Sunday.

Stierle took top honors in the first flight, outlasting sophomore teammate Andre Fick, 6-0, 4-6, (10-5), before rolling past Drexel's Balaji Lakshmanan in the final, 6-0, 6-4.

Tan was crowned champion of the third flight, earning a 6-4, 6-2 win over Dylan Karchere-Sun of Lehigh in the semifinals before felling Timber Erskine of Bucknell, 6-3, 6-4, in the final.

Freshman Luis Janko won the third flight consolation draw, blowing past Loyola's Matt Bejian, 6-2, 6-1, in the semifinals before routing Sam Oberholtzer of Delaware in the final, 6-1, 6-2.

In doubles play, seniors Tristan Boustany and Valentijn van Erven fell in the semifinals of the second flight, 8-2, to Hamza Laalej and Youssef Lahlou of Drexel, while junior Nick Ringle and freshman Scott Battaglia went down in the semis as well to Karchere-Sun and Tyler Hansen, 8-2.

The Hawks had success in the first consolation draw as well.  Stierle and junior Peter Dewitt were 8-1 winners over Brent Boleslav and Francis Nadeau of Niagara and then defeated Fick and freshman Beekman Schaeffer, 8-3, to reach the final.  There, they fell to senior Kyle Chalmers and sophomore Michael Santa Lucia, 8-2.

"It was very exciting to win two of the flights," said head coach Ian Crookenden.  "It was especially gratifying to come out on top of the number-one flight, where newcomer Tim Stierle worked through three supertiebreak victories before winning in straight sets in the final over a Drexel rival.  It bodes well for our year that sophomore Andre Fick gave Tim a battle in the semis before succumbing in a super breaker and that our captain, Kyle Chalmers, gave the Drexel finalist a battle before going down in three sets.

"Dan Tan showed great improvement in winning the third flight without dropping a set," he continued.  "If there was one area of concern, it was in our doubles play, but some hard work in this area will bring about improved results as we have some great depth and talent on the squad.
It was a very positive weekend for our men's squad."

Saint Joseph's is idle until October 13, when the Hawks head to Virginia Tech for the ITA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.