PORTLAND, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College men's tennis sophomores Joey Lyon and Noah Sutin earned spots on the 2025 All-Northwest Conference Men's Tennis Team, while head coach Jimmy Chau has been named NWC Coach of the Year, the league office announced last week. The award is Chau's first, and the selection is Lyon's first career honor.
Lyon anchored the Pioneers at the top of the lineup all season, alternating the Nos. 1 and 2 singles spots with Sutin. He finished with an impressive 12-6 overall singles record, including a 7-4 mark in league play. The sophomore standout, who earned his first All-NWC selection, collected victories over four other All-NWC honorees, including First Team selections Zach Moore and Brooks Lerfald. Lyon was tied with George Fox's Lars Schmassmann, the NWC Player of the Year and No. 12-ranked player in the West Region, in the NWC tournament semifinals when the match was decided (4-6, 6-3, 1-1).
Sutin earned his second straight All-NWC Second Team selection after compiling a 10-13 singles record, including 5-8 in conference competing in the top two positions. The sophomore notched victories over four All-NWC honorees, including First Team selections Cameron Yang, Brooks Lerfald, and NWC Rookie of the Year Josh Dela Cruz.
Together, Lyon and Sutin were lights-out in doubles, posting a 17-6 overall record and an 11-2 mark in conference play while competing at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions as a season. The duo set new single-season program records with both win totals. Their season included a quarterfinal appearance in the 2024 ITA Division III Men's Northwest Regional Championships Doubles Bracket and signature wins over George Fox's top team, which reached the ITA tournament semifinals, and Whitman's No. 1 duo, ranked 10th in the West Region.
Chau guided Lewis & Clark to a 13-6 record and a 10-4 conference mark, securing the program's second straight third-place NWC finish. The Pioneers' .684 winning percentage is their best since the 2016-17 squad went 14-5 (.737). Under Chau, the team has qualified for the NWC Tournament in each of his seven seasons, extending the program's streak to 11 consecutive appearances. The Coach of the Year honor is the first for Chau and just the second for the program since 1993.
This marks the third straight year that Lewis & Clark has placed multiple players on the All-NWC teams.
