NAPERVILLE — The Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) has continued through a stretch of non-conference men’s tennis competition marked by split travel patterns across the league. 
 
Titans and Cardinals Take Top Weekly Honors
Illinois Wesleyan senior Ben Vigneri was recognized as the league’s Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday after posting an undefeated four-match stretch against Ripon and Lawrence. Paired with Ian Turnbull at No. 1 doubles, Vigneri helped the Titans secure two 6-0 victories, while also earning straight-set wins at No. 1 singles. His week included a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 decision against Ripon and a 6-2, 6-1 win over Lawrence. 
 
North Central junior Andres Valverde Gonzalez earned the conference’s previous weekly honor on March 2 after totaling six individual victories against Wisconsin-Whitewater, Grinnell and Illinois Tech. Competing at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles alongside Henry Ros, Valverde Gonzalez improved to 5-2 in spring singles play and helped North Central snap a three-match skid.
 
Firebirds Fly Through Florida Doubleheaders
Carthage posted four wins in Orlando between Monday and Wednesday, beginning with 7-0 victories over Wabash and Cornell. 
 
Against Wabash, Finn Morris and Diego Silva earned a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles, while Ethan Foucheaux and Francisco Silveira added a 6-1 victory at No. 3. Victor Pimenta won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 6 singles and Linus Bangert followed with a 6-1, 6-3 decision at No. 5. In the win over Cornell, Silva recorded a 6-0, 6-0 result at No. 1 singles and Cyriac Cayuela added a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 2. 
 
Carthage returned Wednesday with 6-1 wins over Piedmont and St. Scholastica. The Firebirds claimed the doubles point and five singles matches against Piedmont, including a 6-0, 6-0 performance from Pimenta at No. 6. 
 
Against St. Scholastica, Carthage dropped the doubles point, including a 7-3 tiebreak loss by Foucheaux and Silveira at No. 1 doubles, before responding with wins in all six singles flights. Foucheaux won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 6, while Silveira earned a 6-3, 6-0 result at No. 1. Carthage moved to 10-2 overall.
 
Cardinals Collect Contests Across Orlando
North Central continued a busy run of matches beginning with a 6-1 road win at No. 38 Wisconsin-Whitewater on Feb. 27. Rafael Lessa clinched the fourth team point with a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 4 singles. 
 
The Cardinals followed with a 4-3 loss to Grinnell on Feb. 28 despite a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 win from Lessa in singles play. 
 
In Florida, North Central defeated Ohio Northern, 5-2, on Monday as Lessa again secured the clinching point with an 11-9 third-set tiebreak victory. The Cardinals split results Tuesday, falling 5-2 to No. 35 Skidmore before rebounding with a 7-0 win over Transylvania. In the Skidmore match, Henry Ros, Rafael Lessa and Ignacio Hernandez Ruiz each went the distance in singles, with all three losses coming in third sets. The Transylvania sweep included a 6-0, 6-0 victory by Brandon Paasch at No. 6 singles, the first dual win of his career. 
 
North Central also faced No. 3 Case Western Reserve in exhibition play on Wednesday, with Philipp Wottgen recording the team’s lone set win. The Cardinals stand at 5-6 overall.
 
Big Blue and Titans Defend Home Turf
Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin both competed in regional matches over the weekend. The Titans opened with a 7-0 win over Ripon on Saturday before defeating Lawrence, 5-2, on Sunday. Against Ripon, Thad Dillow won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles and Griffin Hammond added a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 3. Vigneri and Turnbull posted 6-0 doubles wins in both matches. 
 
Millikin dropped a 4-3 decision to Kentucky Wesleyan last Friday despite singles wins from Gillian Nahum at No. 2 and Eduardo Vargas at No. 4. The Big Blue answered with a 6-1 victory over Lawrence on Saturday after sweeping the doubles point by scores of 6-4, 6-0 and 6-2. In singles play, Jorge Aura and Vargas each recorded 6-0, 6-0 wins at No. 5 and No. 4, respectively, while Nahum also delivered a 6-0, 6-0 result at No. 2. 
 
Millikin moved to 5-2 on the season.
 
Pioneers, Thunder and Vikings Navigate Spring Slates
Carroll and Wheaton continued spring break competition, while Augustana remained in regional action. 
 
Carroll opened its Hilton Head trip with a rain-shortened 4-0 loss to LeTourneau last Sunday, with official results based on completed courts. The Pioneers then fell 6-1 to Hardin-Simmons on Monday, with Andrew LaBelle earning a 7-5, 7-6 (9-7) victory at No. 2 singles. Carroll closed Wednesday with a 4-3 loss to Catholic. The Pioneers claimed the doubles point after Felix Persson and Layton Carls won a tiebreak at No. 3 doubles, while Andrew LaBelle, Ryan LaBelle and Nate Christensen each added singles victories. 
 
Wheaton opened its week with a 6-1 win over Dickinson on Monday, highlighted by a 10-6 third-set tiebreak victory from Corin Tang at No. 1 singles. The Thunder then fell 6-1 to Ohio Northern on Tuesday, with Ryder Ward accounting for the team’s point through a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 5 singles. 
 
Augustana dropped a 6-1 decision to Coe last Saturday, with Aingeru Garcia Acebo picking up a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles.
 
Records Solidify as Conference Play Approaches
Carthage owns the league’s best overall record at 10-2, followed by Illinois Wesleyan at 7-2 and Millikin at 5-2. North Central is 5-6 overall, while Carroll stands at 4-9, Wheaton at 2-5, Augustana at 1-3 and Elmhurst at 0-1. Conference play has not yet begun.
 
The upcoming seven-day schedule features another active stretch across multiple sites. Carthage remains in Orlando on Friday for matches against Washington (Md.) at 6:30 a.m. and Calvin at 2:30 p.m. 
 
Augustana travels to Central on Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. match, while Millikin faces Illinois College at 4 p.m. 
 
Illinois Wesleyan opens its Orlando trip Sunday against Coe at 8 a.m., then continues with Edgewood on Monday at 7 a.m. and Bethel next Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. 
 
Next Wednesday includes three scheduled matches, with Illinois Wesleyan taking on Crown at 6:30 a.m. in Orlando and Millikin facing Judson at 11 a.m. in Chicago before opening conference play against Elmhurst at 3:00 p.m. Match times remain subject to local site conditions.