Boys tennis roundup: Minnewaska makes it back to state

May 19—GRAND FORKS, N.D. — For the fourth time in five seasons, the Minnewaska boys tennis team is headed to state.

The top seed in Section 8A, the Lakers secured a state berth with a 5-2 win over second-seeded Crookston Tuesday at Courts Plus Community Fitness.

Minnewaska previously went to state in 2025, ’24 and ’22.

The Class A team tournament takes place on June 2-3 at InnerCity Tennis in Minneapolis.

Drew Bleick and Carter LeClair both won 6-0, 6-0 at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Bleick beat the Pirates’ Gunnar Groven and LeClair beat Sam Widseth. Carson Beyer added a victory for Minnewaska at No. 3 singles.

Easton Palmer and Carter Myron claimed No. 2 doubles for the Lakers against Colton Osborn and Sawyer Anderson, 6-1, 6-2. Tyler Kohn and Aidric Vold won at No. 3 doubles over Alex Zammert and Jacob Halvorson, 6-2, 6-4.

Following the team tournament, the individual tournament also got underway on Tuesday. The Lakers have a singles player and a doubles team in the semifinals.

Bleick won both of his singles bracket matches 6-0, 6-0 against Fergus Falls’ Sullivan Rufer and Crookston’s Gunnar Groven. Bleick takes on Detroit Lakes’ Jude Houglum in the semifinals.

The Lakers’ doubles team of LeClair and Marshall Kopp went 2-0. They opened the tournament by beating Fergus Falls’ William Vaughn and Gabe Carlson, 6-0, 6-1. In round two, LeClaire and Kopp bested Perham’s Kaleb Frohling and Paytan Myers, 6-0, 6-1. They will face Osakis’ Tyler Stier and Kellan George in the semifinals.

The semifinals and finals are Wednesday back at Courts Plus.

Top-seeded Redwood Valley secured the Section 3A championship for the second straight season with a victory over second-seeded New London-Spicer at Redwood Falls.

The Cardinals clinched a state berth after sweeping singles play. Zack Lundeen, Rick Green, Zach Malecek and Charlie Fox all won for Redwood Valley.

NLS’ Isaac Palmer and Jameson Dragt beat Mason Davis and Dylan Anderson at No. 1 doubles, 7-6, 6-3. The Wildcats’ Quinn Wenke and Jensen Davis also claimed a win at No. 3 doubles over Kaden Hicks and Fletcher Leach, 6-3, 7-6.

The Section 3A individual tournament begins at 11 a.m. Thursday and concludes at noon Tuesday, May 26. Both days are at Redwood Falls.

Second-seeded New London-Spicer knocked off third-seeded Benson with a sweep of the doubles matches at Redwood Falls.

Quinn Wenke and Jensen Davis led the way for the Wildcats’ doubles teams. They won 6-0, 6-0 against Jameson Klucas and Felix von Ehren at No. 3 doubles.

Jameson Dragt, at No. 3 singles for NLS, also won via a clean sweep against Brandon Sondag.

Harold Habben scored Benson’s point at No. 2 singles with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jovial Martinez.

The top-seeded Cardinals earned all six of its points in straight sets and swept the singles matches to defeat fourth-seeded Montevideo at Redwood Falls.

Fernando Chaves and Chris Negen earned the Thunder Hawks’ point via a retired match. The duo beat Dylan Anderson and Charlie Fox at No. 2 doubles.

All of Willmar’s individuals bowed out in their first matches at the Section 8AA-South individual tournament at Monticello.

Carter Newberg lost 6-1, 6-1 to St. Michael-Albertville’s Brayden Szarzynski. Deven Hegreberg fell 6-3, 6-1 to Monticello’s Lincoln Krohn.

Nehemiah Van Horne and Lucas Riemersma dropped a 6-3, 6-1 contest to Monticello’s Micah Coalwell and Levi Berning. Preston Kath and Camden Lager suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Becker’s Nathan Weiss and Carter Ager.