DECORAH—Suffering a 9-0 loss at Luther College to close out the regular season Saturday, the Central College men's tennis team finished in third place in the American Rivers Conference.
           
The Dutch (11-8, 6-2 conference) will be the No. 3 seed at the conference tournament next weekend in Cedar Rapids. The Norse (15-6, 7-1 conference) will be the No. 2 seed.
           
"I can't complain about how we played," coach Ryun Ferrell said. "We played really well, Luther is just a little better than we are right now. We're making strides but we've got more work to do."
           
Sophomore William Isiminger (North Aurora, Ill., West Aurora HS) has played nearly every match at No. 1 singles this season and his development has become apparent to Ferrell. Isiminger lost 6-4, 6-2 against Luther's Cole Schneieder.
           
"William played really well against one of the best players in the league," Ferrell said. "He battled hard like he does every time. He's really learning how to play at No. 1. He's only a sophomore, but we're very excited about what he's bringing to this program.'
           
Central's opponent next Friday in the first round of the league tournament will likely be Nebraska Wesleyan University, though it will not be official until the final game of the regular season between the University of Dubuque and Loras College on Tuesday. Central defeated the Prairie Wolves 8-1 on March 29.
           
"It'd be fun to play them outside," Ferrell said. "They're a solid team that plays hard and they won't give us anything. We'll have to make sure we are ready to go. We've still got to polish up a few things and get some guys a little more healthy and we'll be good to go."