A berth in the WIAA boys tennis state tournament is the dream every high school player sets out to realize when the season begins.
It's why most players compete year-round in United States Tennis Association tournaments around the state and Midwest.
It's why players might take extra lessons, trying to pick the brains of tennis professionals, at indoor facilities during the winter.
And it's why players don't mind fighting fatigue during a three-set match in the middle of a hot, muggy afternoon.
Once they get to Madison's Nielson Tennis Stadium it's all worth it.
For seven local athletes, the dream has come true.
Three Greendale High School tennis players earned bids into this weekend's Division 1 state singles and doubles tournament, while four Franklin players accomplished the feat.
Greendale's first player, Nick Kubczak, making his first appearance at state, is the lone singles player of that bunch.
Kubczak (13-14) automatically qualified by defeating two-time state qualifier Wauwatosa East junior Nick Skanavis in the first round at the Brookfield Central Sectional last week. The junior opens tournament play at 2 p.m. today against Tony Mirasola (21-5) of La Crosse Central.
"He's probably one of the only players in the tournament with a sub-.500 record, but his record is a little deceiving," Greendale coach Steve Mader said. "It's been a building process, but right now he's playing his best tennis."
Greendale and Franklin are sending three doubles teams, two of whom are seeded, to the tournament.
Franklin's first doubles unit, Brad Heale and CJ Malek (18-8), received the 10th seed in the 56-team draw, while senior Kyle Goodman and sophomore Matt Grieshop (10-6), Greendale's top duo, earned the 11th seed.
Both teams open tournament play at 5:30 p.m. today against special qualifiers. Heale and Malek's first-round opponents are Nicolet's Quinn Ellsworth and Jacob Levey (24-1), who played third doubles during the regular season.
Goodman and Grieshop open against Connor Muth and Jed Sekaran (12-2), who competed at third doubles for Marquette, the state's top-ranked team.
The Greendale duo, who weren't a pair in 2009, is on a roll as the state tournament begins. They cruised to a sectional championship by not dropping a set in their three matches.
"They are peaking at the right time," Mader said. "They are going to take it one match at a time, but if they play like they did at sectionals, I'm confident about their chances."
Heale and Malek finished third at the same sectional, but enter the state tournament with plenty of experience. The seniors, who competed together at second doubles last year, advanced to the third round in Madison in 2009.
"I think having a year at state will help," Franklin coach Gail Champion said. "It was an awe-inspiring experience, but now they've been here before."
And Champion said she sees no reason they can't improve on last year's finish.
"We knew they were a good combination and weren't going to mess with it at the start of the season," Champion said. "They compliment each other, and they both have a lot of variety."
Senior Zach Bartels and sophomore Kyle Hoffmann (23-3), Franklin's second doubles team, also advanced to the state tournament after earning a special qualifier. They begin their tournament at 4 p.m. today against Aron Stumbras and John Vandenhouten of Green Bay Preble.
As a team, Franklin finished third at the Brookfield Central Sectional last week with 32 points, while Greendale captured second with 35 points. Brookfield Central won the sectional with 46 points to earn a berth in the team state competition next weekend.
"We were happy with the finish," Mader said. "But we're always shooting for first in what I believe is the deepest sectional in the state."
Also at the sectional, Oak Creek's top doubles team senior Nick Podkomorski and junior Robert Gruener lost their first-round match to end their season at 9-7.
E-mail Newsletter
Your link to the biggest stories in the suburbs delivered Thursday mornings.
Enter your e-mail address above and click "Sign Up Now!" to begin receiving your e-mail newsletter
Get the Newsletter!
More from Sports
- Oak Creek boys knock down door to beat Franklin, 46-43, in OT
- Sports Notes: Feb. 2
- Co-op gymnastics team getting closer to Burlington all the time
- Sports Wrapups: Feb. 2
- Franklin's Myers chooses a "family feeling," sticks with Northern Illinois
- Sports Wrapups: Jan. 24
- Franklin girls find road back to success, rout Bradford
- Sports Notes: Jan. 24
- Co-op gymnasts turn in best score in winning Arrowhead Invite
- Balanced Falcons take on challenge
0 COMMENTS