Mitchell’s Cooper Star claims runner-up finish at Aberdeen tennis tournament

Jul. 10—ABERDEEN — A standout performance from Mitchell tennis player Cooper Star led to a finals appearance on Tuesday.

Star was the runner-up in the boys 16-and-under singles bracket at the C.C. Lee Tennis Tournament, going 1-1 in his matches. The event, named in honor of Lee, who first brought tennis to the area, featured a total of 61 players hailing from South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota.

After automatically advancing into the semifinals in the bracket through a bye, Star was in control of the match, defeating Zachary Comings of Wahpeton, N.D. by a final of 6-1, 6-0. In the finals against Matthew Christen of Mandan, N.D., Star narrowly fell to Christen in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.

Star, who’ll be a sophomore in the fall at Mitchell High School, was 14-13 at No. 4 singles for the Kernels in the spring, winning the state consolation title in the flight. He also went 21-7 in Flight 2 doubles for the Kernels with partner Sutton Thompson en route to a fifth-place finish in the bracket.