The Minnewaska Area boys tennis team opened up the season with a 2-2 record after competing at three dates last week.  The Lakers shut out YME during the opener last Tuesday at Granite Falls and then routed Benson-KMS, 6-1, Thursday at home.

On Friday, the Lakers traveled to Fargo to play Thief River Falls and Crookston, losing to both teams in close matches, 5-2.  Connor Quelle, Noah Palmer, Carter LeClair and Drew Bleick all went 3-1 to open up the season for the Lakers.

The Lakers,  2-2 overall and 2-0 in the WCC, are set to compete at St. Cloud Tech, Monday (today) and at Lac qui Parle Valley, Tuesday (tomorrow) before hosting MACCRAY for a conference matchup, Thursday, April 20.

Minnewaska 7, YME 0

The Lakers opened up the season with a 7-0 shutout win at Yellow Medicine East last Tuesday in Granite Falls.  Minnewaska Area lost just one set during the seven matches, although two of them were forfeit wins for the Lakers.

Connor Quelle had the toughest test for Minnewaska, winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 at first singles.  The Lakers had an easier time in the other singles’ matches as Tenzin Dahl prevailed at second singles (6-0, 6-0), Noah Palmer won at third singles (6-1, 6-1) and Riley Thorfinnson came home with a straight-set win at fourth singles (6-1, 6-0).

In doubles, the Lakers’ first doubles team of Carter LeClair and Drew Bleick won 6-0, 6-2 and Minnewaska Area also picked up forfeit wins by Marshall Kopp and Landon Schiffler at second doubles and by Tate Hanson and Tayte Wasilowski at third doubles.

Minnewaska 6, BKMS 1

The Lakers improved to 2-0 with a 6-1 win over Benson-KMS, Thursday night at the Minnewaska High School courts.  The Fighting Braves earned one point at fourth singles and also took another match to three sets, but the Lakers dominated the second set of each match to help key the victory.

Connor Quelle won the only three-set match at first singles, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Tenzin Dahl earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory at second singles, and Noah Palmer earned a 6-3, 6-1 win at third singles.

The Lakers did not lose any sets in the three doubles’ matches as Drew Bleick and Carter LeClair prevailed 7-5, 6-0 at first doubles, Marshall Kopp and Landon Schiffler prevailed 7-6, 6-2 at second doubles, and Tayte Wasilowski and Tate Hanson dominated their match at third doubles, winning 6-0, 6-1.

TRF triangular

The Lakers played at the Thief River Falls triangular, Friday at Fargo, losing to the host TRF team and Crookston by 5-2 scores.

During the loss to TRF, Connor Quelle earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at first singles and Noah Palmer prevailed 7-5, 6-1 at third singles, but TRF won the other five matches, which all went two sets, except for third doubles.

At third doubles, Tate Hanson and Tyler Kohn lost a very close three-set match, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.

•  The other match against Crookston was even closer as four of the seven matches went to third-set tiebreakers.  Drew Bleick and Carter LeClair picked up one point with a 6-1, 4-6, 10-7 tiebreaker win at first doubles, and Riley Thorfinnson and Tyler Kohn earned the Lakers’ other point with a 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 win at second doubles.

Crookston swept the four singles’ matches, although both Tenzin Dahl (second singles) and Noah Palmer (third singles) played great matches before losing in third-set tiebreakers.  

A little about the team

The Lakers are coming off a 21-7 season from a year ago in which the team qualified to the state tourney for the first time in program history and also sent Tate Reichmann to the state individual tourney.

The team lost a lot of players from last season, including Tate Reichmann, Gannon Walsh, Ethan Quelle, Nik VanDyke, Damon Uhde, Alec Larson, Konner Hanson, Riley Guza and manager Erik Vold.

Still, the team does return a number of players with experience.  Overall, the team has 21 players listed on its roster in grades 7-12, a number which includes just four players in grades 10-12.

Included on this year’s boys tennis roster are senior Noah Palmer; junior Connor Quelle; sophomores Tenzin Dahl and Riley Thorfinnson; freshmen Drew Bleick, Tate Wasilowski, James Nichtern and Tate Hanson; eighth-graders Marshall Kopp, Landon Schiffler, Tyler Kohn, Carter LeClair, Ethan Klick, Gabe Maasjo and Deven Manderscheid; and seventh-graders Carson Beyer, Xavier Johnson, Easton Palmer, Aidric Vold, Mason Goebel and Eddie VanderHagen.

Minnewaska 7, at YME 0

SINGLES results:  

(1)  Connor Quelle, Min def Ryan Syring 6-4, 4-6, 7-5  (2) Tenzin Dahl, Min def Karter Canatsey 6-0, 6-0  (3) Noah Palmer, Min def Ryan Brouwer 6-1, 6-1  (4) Riley Thorfinnson, Min def Liam Hadfield 6-1, 6-0

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  Carter LeClair-Drew Bleick, Min def Devin Ladwig-Evan Christianson 6-0, 6-2  (2) Marshall Kopp-Landon Schiffler, Min won by forfeit  (3) Tate Hanson-Tayte Wasilowski, Min won by forfeit

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at Minnewaska 6, BKMS 1

SINGLES results:  

(1)  Connor Quelle, Min def Hunter LeClair 2-6, 6-3, 6-4  (2) Tenzin Dahl, Min def Blake Brehmer 6-1, 6-1  (3) Noah Palmer, Min def Max Young 6-3, 6-1  (4) Alex Carlson, BKMS def Riley Thorfinnson 6-1, 6-1

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  Drew Bleick-Carter LeClair, Min def Harold Habben-Isaac Carlson 7-5, 6-0  (2) Marshall Kopp-Landon Schiffler, Min def Jon Ilstrup-Logan Schauer 7-6, 6-2  (3) Tayte Wasilowski-Tate Hanson, Min def Carson Petrak-Brandon Sondag 6-0, 6-1

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at Thief RF triangular

Thief RF 5, Waska 2

SINGLES results:  

(1)  Connor Quelle, Min def Reece Janisch 6-4, 6-3  (2) Jett Cornelius, TRF def Tenzin Dahl 6-1, 6-0  (3) Noah Palmer, Min def Geran Gonsorowski 7-5, 6-1  (4) Spencer Hempel, TRF def Easton Palmer 6-0, 6-0

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  JJ Cornelius-Rhett Janisch, TRF def Drew Bleick-Carter LeClair 6-2, 6-2  (2) Lucas Rantanen-Noah Burkel, TRF def Riley Thorfinnson-Tayte Wasilowski 7-5, 6-1  (3) Ike Olson-Mathias Carlson, TRF def Tate Hanson-Tyler Kohn 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4

Crookston 5, Waska 2

SINGLES results:  

(1)  Isaac Thomforde, Crook def Connor Quelle 6-3, 6-1  (2) Reggie Winjum, Crook def Tenzin Dahl 6-7 (8-10), 6-2, 10-7tb  (3) Sam Widseth, Crook def Noah Palmer 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9 tb  (4) Gunner Groven, Crook def Carson Beyer 6-2, 6-0

DOUBLES results:  

(1)  Drew Bleick-Carter LeClair, Min def Tatum Lubinski-Nathan Kelly 6-1, 4-6, 10-7tb  (2) Riley Thorfinnson-Tyler Kohn, Min def Jack Everett-Elliott Bartrum 6-4, 4-6, 10-7tb  (3) Caden Boike-Colton Osborn, Crook def Tate Wasilowski-Tate Hanson 6-1, 7-5

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