The Minnewaska Area boys tennis team clinched another WCC title after beating NLS in a home meet last Tuesday night, 5-2.  The Lakers closed out the conference schedule with a perfect 5-0 record and improved to 10-1 overall.

Benson-KMS finished second in the WCC this spring with a 4-1 league mark and NLS was third at 3-2.

Later in the week, the Lakers competed in a match at Hutchinson, Wednesday, and also hosted the WCC Individual Tourney, Friday, where five of the seven Laker entries took home first place — Tenzin Dahl at first singles, Drew Bleick at second singles, Carter LeClair at third singles, Carson Beyer and Xavier Johnson at second doubles, and Tyler Kohn and Easton Palmer at third doubles.

Minnewaska Area has another busy week planned this week with a match at Fergus Falls, Tuesday (tomorrow), followed by a triangular at St. Cloud Tech, Thursday, and a triangular at home, Friday.

Waska 5, NLS 2

The Lakers clinched the WCC title with a 5-2 win over NLS last Tuesday night at home.  Things looked tight early, but the Lakers eventually wore down the Wildcats and split the four singles’ matches while also sweeping doubles.

Drew Bleick (6-0, 6-0) and Carter LeClair (6-2, 6-0) remained perfect for the season with wins at second and third singles, respectively,

Minnewaska Area also won three points in doubles as Riley Thorfinnson and Marshall Kopp won 6-2, 6-2 at first doubles, Xavier Johnson and Carson Beyer prevailed in straight sets at second doubles, 6-3, 6-1 and Tyler Kohn and Easton Palmer were victorious at third doubles, 6-4, 6-2.

It’s the second-straight conference title and third WCC title in the last four years for the Lakers.

WCC Tournament

The Lakers dominated the WCC Individual Tourney, Friday at Minnewaska Area High School.  Five of the Lakers’ seven entries earned individual titles while the other two placed second.

Tenzin Dahl placed first at first singles, edging Jowell Gamaz of NLS in the finals, 6-4, 6-3, while also avenging a loss to the same player from earlier in the week.

Drew Bleick swept his opponent from YME in the second singles’ final, 6-0, 6-0, while Carter LeClair earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory over NLS’ Jameson Dragt in the third singles’ championship.

Also placing first for the Lakers were Xavier Johnson and Carson Beyer at second doubles, and Tyler Kohn and Easton Palmer at third doubles.

Johnson and Beyer beat Vaughn Hanson and Isaac Palmer, of NLS, in the finals 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 tiebreaker, while Kohn and Palmer beat Ethan Wenke and Liam Hanson, of NLS, in the championship, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5.

Placing second for the Lakers were Riley Thorfinnson and Marshall Kopp at first doubles, and Aidric Vold at fourth singles.  Both entries fell to Benson players in the finals, including Vold, who lost in a third-set tiebreaker.

Other tennis notes

The 2025 Minnewaska Area boys tennis varsity roster includes seniors Tenzin Dahl and Riley Thorfinnson; juniors Drew Bleick, Tate Hanson and James Nichtern; sophomores Cale Johnsrud, Ethan Klick, Tyler Kohn, Marshall Kopp, Carter LeClair, Deven Manderscheid, Landon Schiffler and Tydan Stewart; and ninth-graders Carson Beyer, Mason Goebel, Xavier Johnson, Carter Myrom, Edison Vanderhagen, Aidric Vold, Easton Palmer and Joseph Walsh.

at Minnewaska 5, NLS 2

SINGLES results:  

(1)  Jowell Gamez, NLS def Tenzin Dahl 6-3, 6-3  (2) Drew Bleick, Min def Jovial Martinez 6-0, 6-0  (3) Carter LeClair, Min def Jameson Dragt 6-2, 6-0  (4) Coleman Davis,  NLS def Aidric Vold 6-0, 6-2

DOUBLES results:  

(1) Riley Thorfinnson-Marshall Kopp, Min def Henry Vetch-Owen Lee 6-2, 6-2  (2) Xavier Johnson-Carson Beyer, Min def Vaughn Hanson-Isaac Palmer 6-3, 6-1  (3) Tyler Kohn-Easton Palmer, Min def Ethan Wenke-Liam Hanson 6-4, 6-2

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WCC Individual Tourney

SINGLES results:  

(1)  Tenzin Dahl 2-0 (first place)

(2)  Drew Bleick 2-0 (first)

(3)  Carter LeClair 2-0 (first)

(4)  Aidric Vold 2-1 (second)

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  Riley Thorfinnson-Marshall Kopp 1-1 (second place)

(2)  Xavier Johnson-Carson Beyer 2-0 (first)

(3)  Tyler Kohn-Easton Palmer 2-0 (first)