Boys tennis: Glenbard West snares sectional crown
The top spot of the boys tennis sectional held Saturday at St. Charles East changed direction.
Glenbard West won the 10-team meet, ending the host school's two-year two reign as sectional champion.
The Hilltoppers, who in past years competed at Hinsdale Central, moved over to East as result of the IHSA splitting tennis into two classes and realigning sectionals. West scored 20 points Saturday to win the Class 2A sectional trophy.
The No. 1 doubles team of Alexis Kernagis and Griffin Foster and No. 1 singles player Christo Maltby led the Hilltoppers.
Kernagis and Foster, both sophomores, won the doubles championship by beating the St. Charles East duo of Charlie Downing and Kevin Schreiner in a grueling two-hour match, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. All four players earned berths in next week's state meet, which will be contested at various venues throughout the Northwest suburbs, as the top four places advance. While Kernagis and Foster are making their first appearance in the state meet Downing, a senior, and Schreiner, a junior, qualified last year.
"It definitely was a really hard-fought match, we were trying to control the net, get aggressive and finish points," said Downing. "In the second set, we definitely did a better job of that. They are really good with their volleys to the net. Whoever had control of the net was the one that would take the set and the match."
Maltby secured a state slot by taking fourth place in the singles tournament. Glenbard East's Kevin Kruzel beat Maltby in another marathon match, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1 to take third place honors.
"I just kind of grinded it out," said Kruzel, a freshman. "My second serve, my kick serve, was going very well. My back hand was decent - a lot of spin, a lot of rollers."
"(Maltby) didn't get seeded (in the sectional) and we kind of liked our path He was not only able to get to play today but end up qualifying," said Glenbard West coach Tad Keely. "He's been our No. 1 singles player all year. I think we play in one of the toughest, if not the toughest conferences in the state so his record didn't reflect how good of a player he is. But he is a grinder and today reflected that."
Kevin Li from Wheaton North took the singles title. Li topped freshman Phasu Sirinit from Wheaton Warrenville South in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-3 in the championship contest. Li, a sophomore, also qualified for state last year.
"We had a lot of long rallies and because it was the third match of the day, you have to find a lot of energy within yourself to get through," said Li. "My serve and forehand were working. I made almost all of my first serves and my forehand was very deep and spinning."
Tad Keely has mixed feelings about the new two-class arrangement.
"It's interesting. I'm a big proponent of one class but I can't complain too much right now," Keely said. "I don't know the last time we won the sectional. It was kind of nice to get away from the big bad wolves of our area. To get two teams out for us is huge."
No doubt existed to the school that would win third place doubles' contest - the match was between St. Charles North's No. 1 and No 2 squads. Joe Mascha and Dillion Randazzo, the No. 1 pair beat teammates Ajay Gustafson and Conor Bajuk, 6-4, 6-4. The third and fourth place doubles honors earned the North Stars second place (15 points).
"I thought it went great. Both doubles teams were able to qualify for the state tournament which is awesome," said St. Charles North coach Sean Masoncup. "I thought Randazzo and Masha played great today. They were really aggressive and then ran into a buzz saw with St. Charles East in the semifinals."
Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville tied for third with 14 points each. Glenbard East took fifth (13).