Knudsen, Falcons keep busy
Wheaton North had two dual meets on Tuesday in order to prepare for this week's Naperville North sectional, but co-captain Tim Knudsen could only attend the first one.
Knudsen, finished up a three-set victory that helped the Falcons to a 5-2 win over host Glenbard West, then rushed off to school to accept the Ralph Heatherington Spirit Award in recognition of his outstanding, scholarship, leadership and participation in school activities.
The rest of the Falcons went to St. Francis for an early-evening meet.
Knudsen who will be one of the two singles players in the Falcons' sectional lineup, played his typical consistent game in a tough 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 win over Ian Kamphuis.
"Sometimes I have a tendency for long matches," Knudsen said. "Ian and I train together and we know how to play each other. My serve was off, but I was hitting consistently. If he gave me a good shot I took control of it and hit a winner."
Knudsen, who will attend the University of Illinois in the fall, is a member of the student council, the National Honor Society and he was a varsity football player. He has also attended several leadership conferences.
"It's been great to have Tim on the team this year," said first-year boys coach Rick Rateike. "He's a wonderful young man and a smart, determined player who never gives up a point."
Wheaton North (13-5) and Glenbard West (5-17), which will both be competing in this weekend's Naperville North sectional, had their sectional lineups on display, and the Falcons swept the Hilltoppers at all four sectional positions.
In addition to Knudsen, first-doubles Will Exner and Jeff Peltz needed three sets to defeat Cagney Wenk and Kyle White 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 to remain undefeated at 11-0 and stay in the running for a seed at sectionals.
Early in the third set Wenk and White led 4-1 and seemed primed for an upset.
"We blew it in the second set and then fell behind in the third," Exner said. "But we pulled it together, tied it at 5-5 and then went up 6-5. We broke their serve to win the match. We played well in those last three games."
"Cagney and Kyle haven't played together much," said Glenbard West coach Jim Valleskey. "So they should be encouraged by their performance because they showed they can play with a very good Wheaton doubles team. But they needed to put the ball in play and keep the pressure on. They couldn't close it out and they let them off the hook."
First-singles Jack Lorentsen and second-doubles Brent Pflederer and Zach Ursiny, the other Wheaton North sectional players, finished their wins in two sets.
"Jack is incredibly athletic and very consistent, in order to win a point against him, you almost have to hit a winner," Rateike said. "Brent and Zach won't get a seed, but they're capable of beating anybody."