Dan Bowser May 2, 2009

Bowser earns all-league honors

CEDAR RAPIDS—Central College sophomore Dan Bowser (Fort Dodge) earned all-Iowa Conference status at the league’s individual tournament Friday and Saturday.

Competing in Flight A singles, which included the league’s top 32 players, Bowser won his first round match over Joey Lankelma of Coe College by default, then sidelined Samriddh Burman of Luther College 6-3, 6-0. Bowser fell in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion, Scott Sundstrom of Luther 6-2, 6-1.

“Dan played really well,” said coach Steve Tyler.

Seth Harris (freshman, Waverly, Neb.) also won a first-round match, defeating Nate Jung of Luther 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-2) before being ousted by eventual runner-up Harrison Whitely of Luther 6-4, 6-1.

Central’s only other victory came in Flight B doubles. Jacob Veldhuizen (sophomore, Wausau, Wis., East HS) and Joel Druvenga (senior, Spencer) defeated Brandon Wolff and Ryan Walden of Cornell College 8-6 in the second round. But Veldhuizen and Druvenga were defeated in the quarterfinals by Noah Saunders and Kyle Shilling of Simpson College 8-5.

The individual tourney had no bearing on the league standings, which was determined in a dual-meet tournament Thursday. Central placed third for the fifth consecutive year, defeating Cornell College 5-0, falling to Coe College 5-0, then defeating Wartburg College in the third-place match 5-2.

“It was tough to play three dual matches in one day and then come back the next day and compete in the individual championship, especially when the top two teams didn’t have to do that (because of first-round byes),” Tyler said.

But Tyler, who took over the program in January just days before the season opener, was impressed with his club’s 13-10 season.

“The standout thing for me was we just improved dramatically in the last three weeks of the season,” he said. “Even though we got swept, I thought we played right with Coe. Then we turned around and took care of business with Wartburg in great fashion.

“Credit the hard work and of the players. Their attitudes were great. Our doubles teams were much more solid by the end of the year, and our net play and our volleys were much improved.”

The Dutch lose Druvenga to graduation but return the rest of the squad.

“We’re a very young team,” Tyler said. “I really hope we can climb into the next tier and compete with Luther and Coe. That will take a lot of hard work by our returning players. But I think the guys are excited to get started again.”