Whoever ends up winning the Class 5A boys state No. 1 singles title will be as much a survivor as a champion.
The quarterfinal round Thursday at Gates Tennis Center was a battle of skill, will and endurance that featured defending champs and hungry challengers. And by the end of the first of three days of the tournament, there were no more undefeated players at the top singles position and a bit of vengeance had been served.
Boulder junior Calix van Lier appeared beaten by Fairview’s Eric Wertz after losing the first set of their quarterfinals match 6-1. But the momentum shifted on one pivotal point, and last season’s runner-up at No. 1 singles suddenly was back in peak form.
“At one point, when I was down 3-love (in the second set), I hit a big inside forehand, down-the-line winner,” said van Lier, who beat Wertz 1-6, 7-5, 6-1. “That pumped me up and something just clicked. From there I was able to turn it on and take control of the match rather than watch him control it.”
Van Lier earned a rematch of last season’s state title battle against defending state champion Doug Mayeda of Cherry Creek at 9 a.m. in the semifinals.
Rocky Mountain’s Will Vasos and Durango’s Geoff Lewis, both No. 1 singles players, lost their first matches of the season in Thursday’s second round. Vasos fell in three sets to Erik Kreutzer from Regis, and Lewis, state champion at No. 2 singles last season, lost to Mayeda.
In the other No. 1 singles showdown, Grand Junction’s Jordan Bridge needed a big rally to win the tiebreaker against Columbine’s Angelo Faustino in the first set before winning 7-6 (6), 6-2. Bridge, who placed third at the top singles position last season, knew a similar finish would be a challenge.
“There is no easy road to the title. I know all seven of the people in the quarterfinals, and they are all super solid,” said Bridge, who dropped a match to Faustino earlier this season.
Bridge continuously used a cut shot to draw Faustino to the net at the end of the tiebreaker and was able to send two shots by him for the victory.
“I think I made him come up for too many shots,” Bridge said. “He got to a lot of them, but I knew he couldn’t play all the shots.”
Of the nine teams to qualify all seven positions for state, from No. 1 singles through No. 4 doubles, only vaunted Cherry Creek moved everybody through the initial two rounds. The Bruins have won 32 of the past 34 team titles. A number of defending state champions are back on the court looking for another.
Cherry Creek’s Jake Schneiders lost his partner, Chris Cooprider, to No. 2 singles after winning the top doubles title last season. But Andy Bensen, who was the No. 2 doubles champion with Jake Goldberg, teamed up with Schneiders, and the duo cruised through two straight-set victories.
In other action, Rocky Mountain freshman Casey MacMaster won his two matches at No. 2 singles, as did older brother T.J. MacMaster at No. 3 singles.
RESULTS
At Gates Tennis Center
Team scores (after two rounds) – Cherry Creek 14, Air Academy 9, Boulder 9, Chatfield 9, Grand Junction 9, Heritage 8, Fairview 7, Rocky Mountain 6, Regis 4, Ponderosa 2, Columbine 1, Durango 1, Fort Collins 1, Monarch 1, Northglenn 1, Poudre 1.
First round
No. 1 singles – Calix van Lier, Boulder, def. Stephen Mullennex, Regis, 6-2, 6-2; Eric Wertz, Fairview, def. Drew Chitwood, Northglenn, 6-2, 6-0; Geoff Lewis, Durango, def. Zach Pendleton, Heritage, 6-3, 6-0; Doug Mayeda, Cherry Creek, def. Peter Brumley, Chatfield, 6-1, 6-1; Angelo Faustino, Columbine, def. Mike Frank, Chaparral, 6-0, 6-1; Jordan Bridge, Grand Junction, 6-1, 6-0; Erik Kreutzer, Regis, def. Miles Waggoner, Lewis Palmer, 6-2, 6-2; Will Vasos, Rocky Mountain, def. Billy Flemmer, Ponderosa, 6-1, 6-1.
No. 2 – Chris Cooprider, Cherry Creek, def. Dave Warren, Fairview, 6-3, 6-3; Andrew Holmes, Chatfield, def. Cole Conley, Arapahoe, 6-1, 6-1; Colton Dealy, Air Academy, def. Adam Richmond, Monarch, 6-3, 6-0; Blake Howard, Boulder, def. Hunt Waggoner, Lewis Palmer, 6-3, 6-1; Andrew Flora, Northglenn, def. George Atabaev, Smoky Hill, 6-2, 6-2; Nate Pendleton, Heritage, def. Tyler McNamara, East, 6-4, 7-6 (4); Casey MacMaster, Rocky Mountain, def. Shane Monaghan, Regis, 6-2, 6-3; Ryan McNamara, Grand Junction, def. Jeremy Crawford, Ponderosa, 6-2, 6-0.
No. 3 – Alex Maldonado, Boulder, def. Brian Maierhofer, Regis, 6-0, 6-1; T.J. MacMaster, Rocky Mountain, def. Jason Slavik, Mountain Vista, 6-2, 6-1; Kevin DeHererra, Chatfield, def. Alex Alexander, Chaparral, 6-0, 5-7, 6-3; Ben Scissors, Grand Junction, def. Sam Miller, Loveland, 6-2, 6-3; Alan Oakes, Cherry Creek, def. Kevin Law, Arapahoe, 6-1, 6-0; Chris Kennedy, Air Academy, def. Joseph Lassen, East, 6-1, 6-4; J.B. Brittan, Heritage, def. Addison Hodgin, Ponderosa, 7-5, 6-4; Conor Burke, Fairview, def. Andre Lepine, Monarch, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
No. 1 doubles – Ben Swain-Shane Weaver, Air Academy, def. Ken Hua-Ryan Railey, Coronado, 6-4, 6-2; Eric Fanning-Greg Wilson, Rocky Mountain, def. Brian Craig-Don Johnson, Arapahoe, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5; Jake Schneiders-Andy Bensen, Cherry Creek, def. Ryan Hart-Andrew Kilker, Columbine, 6-2, 6-2; Paul-Henri Bodlet-Max Green, Fort Collins, def. Chris Culver-Justin Major, Ponderosa, 7-5, 7-5; Tucker Baer-Kevin Wilday, Heritage, def. Nate O’Rourke-Lorne Fultonberg, Monarch, 6-3, 6-4; Fabien Hertz-Dylan Proietti, Grand Junction, def. Jaden Anderson-Chad Barentsen, Smoky Hill, 7-6 (3), 6-3; Erin Ron-Devon Belcher, Boulder, def. Mac Wetherbee-Ben Sabourin, Fairview, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1; Sean Brading-Jordan Chomko, Chatfield, def. Taylor Brisch-Sean Kavanah, Regis, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
No. 2 – Chris Poppleton-Parker Lewis, Chatfield, def. Ky Kocur-Eric Law, Arapahoe, 6-2, 7-6 (6); Patrick Hubregsen-Anthony Petty, Regis, def. Tyler Harman-Cass Krughoff, Fairview, 6-0, 6-1; Dylan Mumm-Zach Vinton, Ponderosa, def. Brian Cox-Barry Conrad, Monarch, 6-2, 6-1; Casey Fanganello-James Miller, Heritage, def. Chase Yager-Matt Markham, Chaparral, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Chris Kelly-Cyle Bilger, Grand Junction, def. Cole Jensen-Ryan Minatta, Mountain Vista, 6-4, 6-3; Nick Ourst-Paul Kloster, Air Academy, def. Kyle Picha-Quinn Carter, Poudre, 7-6 (3), 6-4; Nate Zackroff-Ari Malman, East, def. Nick Jaake-Dan Barton, Rocky Mountain, 7-5, 6-2; John Posada-Harry Hewett, Cherry Creek, def. Kevin Head-Jason Ron, Boulder, 6-0, 6-2.
No. 3 – Ben White-Sammy Martin, Air Academy, def. Jeff Maxey-Wade Schutte, Arapahoe, 6-1, 6-2; Connor Macey-Jon Stout, Cherry Creek, def. Mikel Kosich-Dane Jensen, Mountain Vista, 6-4, 6-0; Steven Cartwright-Blake Wetherbee, Fairview, def. Ian Lae-Paul Sprowell, Fort Collins, 6-2, 6-0; Jimmy Wonnacott-Scott Holmes, Chatfield, def. Andrew Butler-Austin Perry, Ponderosa, 6-3, 6-3; Quinton Karpilow-Sam Galler, Boulder, def. Evan Mayer-Drew Baumgartner, Chaparral, 6-1, 6-2; Varun Natraj-Ben Wait, Monarch, def. Max Grillo-Max Milhan, East, 6-4, 6-4; Danny D’Costa-Dominic D’Costa, Regis, def. Jake Frankhauser-Sam Morgan, Grand Junction, 6-0, 6-3; Dillon McNamara-Taylor Young, Heritage, def. Kyle Massey-Danny Fisher, Rocky Mountain, 7-5, 6-3.
No. 4 – Lance Light-Tucker Johnson, Fairview, def. Zach Travis-Taylor Durham, Chaparral, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; J.B. Blair-Jeff Turre, Heritage, def. Spencer Erickson-Jeff Thalhofer, East, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0; Alex Gronewaller-Ray Florant, Poudre, def. Ryan Beckett-Jeff Gunnell, Arapahoe, 6-3, 7-6 (1); Nick Alvey-Jordan Duffey, Air Academy def. Beau LaCouture-Jack Carter, Ponderosa, 6-1, 6-2; Justin Ptasnik-Steven Kiffor, Cherry Creek, def. Logan Cerkovnik-Luke Kiniry, Regis, 6-0, 6-2; Brandon Rochelle-Will Gleave, Chatfield, def. Will Wagner-Timmy Conrad, Monarch, 6-3, 6-0; Matt Friesen-Charlie Reicks, Grand Junction, def. Matt Hoppa-Mike Bishop-Hoyt, Rocky Mountain, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-5; Emilio Chacon-Colby Kamin, Boulder, def. Spencer Kunze-David Jamie, Lewis Palmer, 6-0, 6-4.
Quarterfinals round
No. 1 singles – Van Lier, Boulder, def. Wertz, Fairview, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1; Mayeda, Cherry Creek, def. Lewis, Durango, 6-3, 6-4; Bridge, Grand Junction, def. Faustino, Columbine, 7-6 (6), 6-2; Kreutzer, Regis, def. Vasos, Rocky Mountain, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
No. 2 – Cooprider, Cherry Creek, def. Holmes, Chatfield, 6-4, 6-2; Howard, Boulder, def. Dealy, Air Academy, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (4); Pendleton, Heritage, def. Flora, Northglenn, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2); C. MacMaster, Rocky Mountain, def. McNamara, Grand Junction, 6-4, 7-5.
No. 3 – T. MacMaster, Rocky Mountain, def. Maldonado, Boulder, 6-0, 6-2; Scissors, Grand Junction, def. DeHererra, Chatfield, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Oakes, Cherry Creek, def. Kennedy, Air Academy, 6-4, 7-5; Burke, Fairview, def. Brittan, Heritage, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 1 doubles – Swain-Weaver, AA, def. Fanning-Wilson, Rocky Mountain, 6-4, 7-5; Schneiders-Bensen, Cherry Creek, def. Bodlet-Green, Fort Collins, 6-1, 6-3; Baer-Wilday, Heritage, def. Hertz-Proietti, Grand Junction, 6-2, 6-4; Brading-Chomko, Chatfield, def. Ron-Belcher, Boulder, 6-1, 6-1.
No. 2 – Poppleton-Lewis, Chatfield, def. Hubregsen-Petty, Regis, 6-3, 6-4; Mumm-Vinton, Ponderosa, def. Fanganello-Miller, Heritage, 6-2, 7-6 (3); Ourst-Kloster, Air Academy, def. Kelly-Bilger, Grand Junction, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; Posada-Hewett, Cherry Creek, def. Zackroff-Malman, East, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 3 – Macey-Stout, Cherry Creek, def. White-Martin, Air Academy, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0; Cartwright-Wetherbee, Fairview, def Wonnacott-Holmes, Chatfield, 6-4, 7-5; Karpilow-Galler, Boulder, def. Natraj-Wait, Monarch, 6-3, 6-1; D’Costa-D’Costa, Regis, def. McNamara-Fisher, Rocky Mountain, 6-1, 6-2.
No. 4 – Light-Tucker, Fairview, def. Bair-Turre, Heritage, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-1; Alvey-Duffey, Air Academy, def. Gronewaller-Florant, Poudre, 6-3, 6-2; Ptasnik-Kiffor, Cherry Creek, def. Rochelle-Gleave, Chatfield, 6-2, 6-2; Friesen-Reicks, Grand Junction, def. Chacon-Kamin, Boulder, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.
