GILBERT, Ariz. – Top Linfield doubles tandem
Brooks Lerfald and
Zac Nakajima rank as the No. 9 team in the NCAA Division III's West region, as announced Thursday in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's first regional ranking release of the 2026 spring season.
The pair of seniors have collected a 10-6 record representing Linfield at the top of the lineup so far this season, including an 8-2 mark against the Northwest Conference.
Lerfald and Nakajima upset the nationally ranked No. 25 duo of Julian Wu and Noah Lewis from Middlebury on March 22, in addition to beating Whitman's Alexander Stage and Niklas Jensen, the No. 6 team in the West by Thursday's rankings, in the Wildcats' most recent match on March 31 against the defending NWC champion Blues.
"These two have worked so hard. I'm really honored to be their coach," said Linfield men's tennis head coach
Todd Mansfield. "They have played three other teams in the top 10 and beaten one. It blows my mind that at his old school, Zac wasn't even playing until he transferred to Linfield."
Lerfald, out of Eugene, Ore., is in his third year of competition for Linfield after redshirting his sophomore academic season and looks to return to the all-NWC First Team at the conclusion of this season. He would be the program's first back-to-back first team selection since 2011.
Nakajima is in his first year with the 'Cats after spending three seasons at the University of Redlands. Despite serving as team captain for two years, the Beaverton, Ore. product only saw the court once for the Bulldogs.
The ITA will release both national and regional rankings for team, singles and doubles periodically through the rest of the spring college tennis season. The ITA Rankings Algorithm is based on an accumulation of win points and loss points, accounting for a win-loss record, strength of schedule, and the depth and significance of wins and losses. As the season progresses, the value of wins and losses are constantly adjusted.
The Wildcats hold a 5-12 overall team record and are 5-6 in NWC play with four matches left in the regular season. Linfield sits in sixth place in the league standings, two matches behind George Fox (7-7, 6-4) for the fourth and final seed in the NWC Championship tournament. The Wildcats and Bruins meet April 11 in McMinnville for the penultimate match of the regular season.
