GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Showcasing promising tools throughout his run in the ITA-NAIA Southeast Regional Championships, Shawnee State's Ryan Fox ultimately led the Bears Thursday as Fox nabbed one match victory and nearly grabbed another big match win in the process to lead the Shawnee State men's tennis team in ITA-NAIA Southeast Regional action Thursday in Georgetown, Ky.

Fox, a sophomore who transferred to Shawnee State from Saint Mary's (Kan.) over the offseason, was impressive throughout his run in Thursday's matches. Fox defeated Midway (Ky.)'s Manuel Mirabel with relative ease by claiming a 6-2, 6-2 match triumph in the Round of 128 -- but really showcased his strength in the Round of 64.

There, the native of the Bahamas took Bethel (Tenn.) product and 2023-24 Second-Team All-Mid-South Conference honoree Nafiralo Souleymane Ouattara to the limit, battling the native of the Ivory Coast to a grueling 7-5, 4-6, 9-11 match which saw Fox come just shy of claiming two match victories in one afternoon in singles competition.

Fox's efforts speak further volumes when one dives deeper into the statline -- as Souleymane Ouattara went 10-4 during the 2023-24 season in singles competition and holds a 16.4 World Tennis Number, which is the equivalent of a No. 1 singles player on most NAIA tennis programs.

Behind Fox, Aiden Pine dropped a straight set decision to Midway (Ky.)'s Ferran Ballart Clapes in the Round of 128. Ishmael Dowuona, who received a bye into the Round of 64, played Georgetown's William Barnes to a competitive match, ultimately falling 3-6, 4-6 to a player with an 18.1 World Tennis Number.

Zinedine Arva Purbo, Daniel Cristobal and Adam Stanley each received byes into the Round of 64, and lost in straight sets at that juncture -- with Purbo winning two games apiece in a set that the veteran talent contested and Cristobal winning two games in both of his sets of play.

Doubles play saw Fox -- along with Cristobal -- stand out, as the duo took Pikeville's Juan Alzate and Ahmed Hassari to a thrilling finish in doubles before dropping a 6-7 (2-7) decision in the Round of 32 after receiving a bye to that stage. Alzate and Hassari were the No. 5 overall-seeded NAIA men's tennis doubles pairing at the NAIA-ITA Southeast Regional Championships, and Alzate, who holds a 15.8 World Tennis Number, was a First-Team All-Mid-South Conference selection in 2022 and 2023. Hassari, a true freshman, holds a 17.1 World Tennis Number.

Dowuona and Arva Purbo lost in the Round of 32 while Pine and Stanley lost in the Round of 64 by 1-6 margins.

Full results are as follows:

2024 ITA-NAIA Southeast Regional Championships -- Day 1

Singles

Ryan Fox (Shawnee State) def. Manuel Mirabel (Midway) 6-2, 6-2; Ryan Fox (Shawnee State) lost to Nafiralo Souleymane Ouattara (Bethel) 7-5, 4-6, 9-11

Ishmael Dowuona (Shawnee State) lost to William Barnes (Georgetown) 3-6, 4-6

Daniel Cristobal (Shawnee State) lost to Pablo Poleo Gonzalez (Freed-Hardeman) 2-6, 2-6

Zinedine Arva Purbo (Shawnee State) lost to Liam Savio (Cumberlands, Ky.) 2-6, 0-6

Aiden Pine (Shawnee State) lost to Ferran Clapes Ballart (Midway) 0-6, 0-6

Adam Stanley (Shawnee State) lost to Inaki Toledo (Campbellsville) 0-6, 0-6

Doubles

Ryan Fox/Daniel Cristobal (Shawnee State) lost to Juan Alzate/Ahmed Hassari (Pikeville) 6-7 (2-7)

Ishmael Dowuona/Zinedine Arva Purbo (Shawnee State) lost to Luis Marcos Bonifasi/Gabriele Solda (Pikeville) 1-6

Aiden Pine/Adam Stanley (Shawnee State) lost to Pierluigi Cruypenninck/Vivier Thibaud (Pikeville) 1-6

The men's tennis program at Shawnee State will be back in action twice more during the fall semester -- with road trips at Hanover (Ind.) and Mount Vernon Nazarene set for Sunday, Oct. 5 and Wednesday, Oct. 9. Updates for those matches will be provided as results come in.