ST. PETER, Minn. – Gustavus Adolphus College defeated Carleton College by a margin of 4-0 on Saturday to claim the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Men's Tennis Playoff Championship and an automatic berth in the 2026 NCAA Division III Tournament.
| 2026 MIAC Men's Tennis Playoffs | Box Score |
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Gusties earned the doubles point on a very close 7-6 win by Gage Gohl and Tyler Haddorff at the No. 1 spot.
-After Dominik Knutson's 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles, Luke Fridinger and Takura Mhwandagara finished off the match with wins at the fifth and sixth spots.
-Fridinger won, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 5 with Mhwandagara taking No. 6 by a 6-1, 6-1 margin.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
-The MIAC Playoff title is the 15th straight and 18th overall for the Gustavus men's tennis program.
-Gustavus has won 18 of the 19 MIAC Men's Tennis Playoff tournaments since the current postseason format was established in 2007.
CHAMPIONSHIP APPAREL
-Official playoff team-champion apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop, powered by UNRestricted MKTG.
-The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeves, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 playoff tournament.
TOURNAMENT TIME
-With the victory, Gustavus earned the MIAC's automatic qualifier to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships.
-This is the 38th time in program history that the Gusties will head to the national tournament.
-A total of 44 teams will be selected to compete at the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships, with 35 automatic qualifiers and nine at-large bids.
-The championship bracket will be revealed in a selection show live-streamed on NCAA.com on Monday, May 4.
-The opening rounds of the 2026 Men's Tennis Championships will be played May 8-10 at non-predetermined regional sites, with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and national championship scheduled for May 19-22 at Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
-The NCAA Division III Tennis Committees will also select 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams to compete in the NCAA Division III Singles & Doubles Tennis Championships, held May 23-26 at Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
-The top two ranked singles players, along with the top-ranked doubles team, in each of the NCAA's eight regions will be invited to compete at the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Individual Championships, with another 16 singles players and eight doubles teams receiving at-large berths from the selection committees.
-Individual championship qualifiers and alternates will be announced on Wednesday, May 6, on NCAA.com.
MIAC AWARDS
-The MIAC will announce its annual men's tennis awards, including All-Conference, All-Playoff, and individual honors, on Tuesday, May 5, at 2:00 p.m. Central time.
2026 MIAC MEN'S TENNIS PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals | Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026
No. 5 Bethel 4, No. 4 St. Olaf 1 | Box Score |
Semifinals | Friday, May 1, 2026
No. 1 Gustavus 4, No. 5 Bethel 0 | Box Score |
No. 2 Carleton 4, No. 3 St. Scholastica 0 | Box Score |
Championship | Saturday, May 2, 2026
No. 1 Gustavus 4, No. 2 Carleton 0 | Box Score |