It looked bleak once the initial set came to a close. Ivan Spinner just didn't have it this time. The senior was about to lose the 'A' flight championship match.

But Spinner battled back. He mustered a valiant comeback, and defeated Jeremy Gans from Cornell at the Penn State Winter Classic this weekend, 0-6, 6-0, 6-1.

"I wasn't into it in the first set," Spinner said. "I was going through the motions. Then, I started to settle down -- I was pleased with the results."

The action was intense inside the Penn State Indoor Tennis Club this weekend. Five men's collegiate tennis program's laced it up, including Bloomsburg, Cornell, Penn State, Rutgers and the University of Toledo. But there was one school that dominated.

Penn State claimed all six flights at the Winter Classic. The 'A' flight doubles final featured a Nittany Lion confrontation. Spinner and Greg Gaunt defeated Chad Skorupka and Michael Carter, 8-4.

In the 'B' flight title match, Carter beat teammate Skorupka in a classic dual, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. The doubles team of Mike Tain and Doug Schoenly defeated a team from Cornell in the 'B' flight doubles championship, 8-4.

Chris Cahill captured the 'C' flight singles title, beating Tain, 6-0, 7-6.

"I felt fortunate to hang on in the end," Cahill said. "It was a pretty good match."

The 'D' flight singles final was another match between two players wearing the blue and white. Brett Pollak lost to Schoenly, 6-1, 6-3.

Spinner said the Classic provided the Lions with the chance to sharpen their skills for the rugged Big Ten schedule this spring.

"I feel pretty confident," he said. "I should be one of the top guys in the Big Ten. As a team, I think we're gonna go for the ring and try to win it all."