FOREST GROVE, Ore.  The formula utilized to figure out the regular season Northwest Conference champions in tennis doesn't require calculus, only a little addition. Sunday at Pacific (Ore.) University the 15th-ranked Whitman men needed to earn just two points during it's match against the Boxers to claim the regular season title, and that total was easily surpassed as the Blues took an 8-1 victory to complete league play undefeated and claim the regular-season crown.

Sunday's score was identical to the last time Whitman (22-6, 12-0 NWC) and Pacific (11-7, 8-4) met earlier in the season. Guaranteed at worst of share of the title Whitman, because of its eight wins in that late-February match, was required by the formula -- in use because each team plays half of the conference teams twice, and the other half just once -- to simply capture two match victories during Sunday's bout to earn the season 'point' against Pacific.

The first point Sunday came at the No. 3 doubles spot where the Blues' Gary Ho and Daniel Foster routed Sage Katayama and Wesley Upton, 8-2.

Now the race was on for the title-clinching point between the other two pairings. All-American Zach Hewlin and Petar Jivkov crossed the finish first, taking a 9-7 win at 1-doubles from Pacific's Clark Wininger and Oscar Wight, shortly before Whitman's Robert Carter and Trevor Fennessy at No. 3 won a tiebreaker, 9-8 (7-4), over Reuben Mulhern and Josh Bernstein.

The celebration would have to wait, however, as six singles matches were still on the slate.

Rajul Chikkalingaiah's 6-3, 6-3 win at 6-singles inched Whitman to within one victory from the match win. That triumphant point came from Hewlin at No. 1 as he outlasted Wininger, 7-6 and 7-6, to clinch the team victory.

Alex Hwang at No. 5, Jivkov at 2, and Ho at No. 4 each padded the outcome for Whitman with their own singles victories.

The regular season championship earns Whitman hosting rights for the NWC postseason tournament, April 22-23, between the top four finishers in the regular-season championship formula. Whitman's eight points from the equation give the Blues the top seed and they will play fourth-seeded George Fox University, which netted five points. Pacific (six pts.) is the third seed and will square off against No. 2 seed Lewis & Clark College (seven pts.).

The Saturday semifinal winners will play for the NWC tournament crown Sunday at 10 a.m.