SALINA, Kan. – The Bethel College men's tennis team finished the 2026 ITA NAIA Central West Regional Championship, hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University. Billy Haoda and Jorge Batista reached the doubles semifinals, and Haoda made the singles quarterfinals.

Doubles

Haoda and Batista were seeded second. They opened with an 8-1 win over Hastings' Alex Hafer and Camden Palmer. Next they beat William Woods' Joao Sonaglia and Bruno Matta 8-6. In the quarterfinals they beat No. 7 seeds Daniel Caballeros and Benjamin Chisholm of Concordia 8-5.

Their run ended in the semifinals with an 8-5 loss to No. 3 seeds Mathys Arnold and Marcos Menendez of Morningside, who went on to win the title.

Zaidh Zihar and Adam Tomka lost a close opener to McPherson's Hamish Wyatt and David Trindade Cunha, 9-8 (7).

Singles

Haoda was the No. 9 seed and Bethel's best singles finisher. He opened with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Kansas Wesleyan's Paul Jittawait, then beat William Woods' Joao Sonaglia 6-2, 7-5. In the Round of 16 he lost the first set to Texas Wesleyan's Alejo Zurmendi but came back to win 3-6, 6-2, 10-8.

In the quarterfinals Haoda won the first set against top seed Marcos Menendez of Morningside in a tiebreaker. Menendez came back to win 6-7 (4), 6-3, 10-3.

Batista was seeded fourth and beat Kansas Wesleyan's Ayden Johnson 6-4, 6-3 in his opener. In the Round of 32 he lost a close three-setter to Concordia's Davi Pereira Costa, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 11-9.

Zihar, the No. 16 seed, lost a split-set opener to Saint Mary's Korbin Priestley, 6-2, 5-7, 10-6. Lukas Kulich fell to No. 14 seed Jesse Gerth of Morningside, 6-2, 6-1. Tomka lost to Bethany's Sebastian Stipanov, 6-2, 6-0.

William Woods' Tomas Guadagni won the men's singles title.

Up Next

The Threshers will be back in action Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 for the UTR Sports Tennisfest in Rome, Ga.