LOS ANGELES - LMU men's tennis has cracked the ITA team rankings at No. 43, the program's highest ranking since the 2017-2018 season, the organization announced this week.
 

The Lions have raced out to a 7-1 overall record, built largely on the strength of a dominant doubles game. LMU has conceded just two doubles points in eight matches this season, a remarkable stretch that has set the tone before singles play even begins. Seniors Max Wuelfing and Alex Padro Parra have been the engine of that success, pairing together to go 6-1 as a doubles tandem. Wuelfing, undefeated at 5-0 in No. 1 Singles and 2-0 in No. 2 singles, has been the team's anchor all season. Padro Parra has been equally impressive, riding a five-match winning streak in No. 5 Singles. 
 

The Lions received a further boost with the return of Cesar Cruz, who has brought immediate dividends. Cruz is unbeaten as a doubles partner alongside both Darius Tamaddon and Emil Kindhult, and holds a 2-0 mark in No. 2 Singles to go with his 1-1 record at the top of the lineup. With the roster now at full strength, LMU appears well-positioned to build on its early momentum. 
 

The ranking also reflects a strong showing for the West Coast Conference as a whole in the initial extended ITA poll. San Diego leads the conference at No. 9, followed by Pepperdine (No. 13), Santa Clara (No. 40), LMU (No. 43), Gonzaga (No. 56) and Pacific (No. 75), six WCC programs represented among the nation's top 75.