CLAREMONT, Calif.  – Saturday morning marked the beginning of the Round of 8 in the Singles Championship as part of the 2014 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship. It also marked the end of the line for Kenyon College's Wade Heerboth. From inside the Biszantz Family Tennis Center (Claremont, Calif.), Heerboth battled relentlessly to keep his title run alive, but eventually fell in three sets (4-6, 6-1, 6-4) to Joe Dorn from host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.

Heerboth, who has now completed his junior campaign, bows out of the tournament as Kenyon's fifth NCAA All-American over the last three years. With wins in his previous two matches on Friday, he earned that status marking the first such distinction of his career. He closes out the 2013-14 season with an overall record of 20 wins and six losses.

The match started on the right foot for Heerboth as he cruised to a 6-1 victory in the first set over Dorn. Dorn, who finished the regular season as the No. 2 singles player for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, made the proper adjustment heading into the second set, where the tide turned and got began to get rocky for Heerboth.

Dorn, who was a 2013 NCAA All-American in doubles action, got into a groove to overcome Heerboth in each of the next two sets. The junior captain of the Stags, equipped with a strong forehand and a marquee drop shot, used each to his advantage to set up the victory. He stumbled in the final set after taking an early lead, allowing Heerboth the opportunity to contend late.

Up 5-2 in the third set, Dorn began committing multiple unforced errors that set up Heerboth to claim back-to-back games. Now within a game of Dorn, Heerboth looked to tie it up and had a good start in doing so by claiming the first point and getting into his opponent's head. As seasoned veterans do, Dorn regained his composure and worked Heerboth to both sides of the court, setting up a devastating forehand attack that helped seal the win.

Dorn, who entered the tournament unseeded, will now take on his teammate and top-seeded player in the tournament, Warren Wood, later today in the semi-final round.

Heerboth joins a long line of success stories out of the Lords tennis program. He becomes the 18th different Kenyon student-athlete to qualify for the national championship and continues a run of seven consecutive years the Lords have placed at least one competitor in the singles tournament.