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Aberdeen Roncalli turns in solid opening day in State A boys tennis tourney

roger merriam, watertown public opinion
·5 min read

RAPID CITY — Aberdeen Roncalli moved into third place behind favorites Sioux Falls Christian and Rapid City Christian on Monday during the opening day of the state Class A boys tennis tournament.

Sioux Falls Christian advanced all six of its singles players into the semifinals and also pushed all three doubles teams to the finals. The Chargrs scored 392 points compared to 344 for Rapid City Christian, which also advanced six singles players to the semifinals and two doubles teams to championships.

Aberdeen Roncalli also had a good day, scoring 225 points and advanced four singles players and two doubles teams into the third-place matches.

Palmer Johnson (No. 2), Gannon May (No. 3), Landon Zikmund (No. 4) and Ezra Feickert (No. 6) will each play for third place along with Johnson-May at No. 1 doubles and Cason Hellwig-Zikmund at No. 2 doubles. Jayden Reecy and Will Haskell were scheduled to play for fifth place at No. 3 doubles on Tuesday.

Palmer Johnson of Aberdeen Roncalli hits a backhand shot during the opening day of the state Class A high school boys tennis tournament on Monday, May 13, 2024 at Rapid City.
Palmer Johnson of Aberdeen Roncalli hits a backhand shot during the opening day of the state Class A high school boys tennis tournament on Monday, May 13, 2024 at Rapid City.

Hellwig ( No. 1) and Reecy (No. 5) are in the fifth-place semis in singles.

Milbank was ninth with 135 points with Joe Schulte (No. 1), Gregory Grabow (No. 3), Will Muellenbach (No. 4), Daniel Shelstad (No. 5) and Alex Baugh (No. 6) each reaching the fifth-place semis in singles. Schulte-Grabow (No. 1) and Muellenbach-Charles Whitesitt (No. 2) each are in the fifth-place semis in doubles.

Whitesitt (No. 2 singles) and Shelstad-Baugh (No. 3 doubles) are each in the consolation championship.

Team Scores

Sioux Falls Christian 392, Rapid City Christian 344, Aberdeen Roncalli 225, Huron 188, Lennox 179, Madison 174, Pierre 156, St. Thomas More 144, Milbank 135, Vermillion 87 and Spearfish 32.

Singles

First Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-Mitchell Hofer  (SFC) def. 8-Michael Levine (STM) 6-2, 6-0; 4-Cody Plank (LEN) def. 5-Cason Hellwig (ABR) 6-4, 7-5; 3-Dah Christ Moo (HUR) def. 6-Joe Schulte (MIL) 7-6(4), 6-0; 2-Jack Hancock (RCH) def.  7-Devin Dodson (PIE) 6-1, 6-1.

Second Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-Rex  Lefever (SFC) def. 8-Elijah Sims (MAD) 6-1, 6-0; 4-Gunnar Geiken (LEN) def. 5-Lucas Hight (PIE) 4-6,  6-3, 11-9; 3-Palmer Johnson (ABR) def. 6-Matthew Thin  (HUR) 6-3, 6-1; 2-Henry Beckloff  (RCH) def. 7-Andrew Levine (STM) 6-1, 6-2.

State Boys Tennis Preview: Class A tourney set for Monday and Tuesday and AA for Thursday and Friday at Rapid City

Third Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-Noah Geyer (RCH) def. 9-Gregory Grabow(MIL) 6-2, 6-1; 5-Jacob Leiferman (PIE) def. 4-Eli Plank (LEN) by default; 2-Jack Squier (SFC) def. 7-Braeden Strain (STM) 6-0, 6-0 ; 3-Gannon May (ABR) def. 6-Lah Doh Soe (HUR) 6-7(5), 6-2, 10-8.

Fourth Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-Cain Schaefers (RCH) def. 9-Ethan Sims (MAD) 6-1, 6-1; 5-Weston Northrup (PIE) def. 4-Hser N Wah (HUR) 1-6, 6-3, 10-8; 6-Landon Zikmud (ABR) def. 3-Pierce Temme (LEN) 6-1, 6-1;  2-Jack DeYoung (SFC) def. 7-Will Muellenbach (MIL) 6-1, 6-4.

Fifth Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-Logan Boyle (SFC) def. 9-Daniel Shelstad (MIL) 6-2, 6-1; 4-Say Poe (HUR) def. 5-Jayden Reecy (ABR) 6-1, 7-5; 3-Ethan Palmer (RCH) def. 6-Grant Freeling (VER) 4-6, 6-2, 10-5; 2-Elliot Huxford (STM) def. 7-Chase Steuerwald (MAD) 6-0, 6-0.

Sixth Flight

Quarterfinals —1-Elijah Lindgren (SFC) def. 8-Alex  Baugh (MIL) 6-1, 6-3; 5- Oliver Huxford (STM) def. 4-Maner Htoo (HUR) 6-1, 6-1; 3-Ezra Feickert (ABR) def. 6-Tysen Hovden (VER) 4-6, 6-3, 10-6; 2-Hudson Selfridge (RCH) def. 7-Maguire Studer (MAD) 6-2, 6-1.

Joe Schulte of Milbank makes a forehand return during the opening day of the state Class A high school boys tennis tournament on Monday, May 13, 2024 at Rapid City.
Joe Schulte of Milbank makes a forehand return during the opening day of the state Class A high school boys tennis tournament on Monday, May 13, 2024 at Rapid City.

Doubles

First Flight

Quarterfinals — 1- M. Hofer/J.Squier (SFC) def. 8-J. Schulte/G. Grabow (MIL) 6-1, 6-0; 4-P. Johnson/G. May (ABR) def. 5-D. Christ Moo/ M. Htoo (HUR) 6-2, 6-3; 3-C. Plank/E.Plank (LEN) def. 11-N. Bailey/D. Crandall (SPE) 6-0, 6-1;2-J. Hancock/N. Geyer (RCH) def. 7-S. Reverts/E. Sims (MAD) 6-1, 6-2.

Semifinals — 1- M. Hofer/J.Squier (SFC) def. 4-P. Johnson/G. May (ABR) 6-2,  6-0; 2-J. Hancock/N. Geyer (RCH) def. 3-C. Plank/E.Plank (LEN)  by default.

Second Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-R. Lefever/L. Boyle (SFC) def. 9-T. Pierce/E. Sims (MAD) 6-0, 6-0; 4-W. Northrup/D. Dodson (PIE) def. 5-P. Temme/G. Geiken (LEN)  6-4, 6-2; 3-C. Hellwig/L. Zikmund (ABR) def. 6-W. Muellenbach/C. Whitesitt (MIL) 6-2, 6-4; 2-H. Beckloff/C. Schaefers (RCH) def. 7-L. Doh Soe/H N Wah (HUR) 6-4, 6-0.

Semifinals — 1-R. Lefever/L. Boyle (SFC) def. 4-W. Northrup/D. Dodson (PIE) 6-1, 6-2; 2-H. Beckloff/C. Schaefers (RCH) def. 3-C. Hellwig/L. Zikmund (ABR) 6-3, 6-4.

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Third Flight

Quarterfinals — 1-J. DeYoung/E. Lindgren (SFC) def. 9-T. Hovden/T. Wittmuss (VER) 6-1, 6-0; 4-M. Thin/S. Poe (HUR) def. 5-J. Reecy/W.Haskell (ABR) 6-4, 2-6, 10-7; 3-E. Palmer/M. Suomala (RCH) def. 11-N. Welch/M. VanMeeteren (LEN) 6-1, 6-4; 7-C. Steuerwald/M. Studer (MAD) def. 2-E. Huxford/O. Huxford (STM) 6-1, 6-2.

Semifinals — 1-J. DeYoung/E. Lindgren (SFC) def. 4-M. Thin/S. Poe (HUR) 6-4, 6-2; 7-C. Steuerwald/M. Studer (MAD) def.  3-E. Palmer/M. Suomala (RCH) 4-6, 6-4,  10-7.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Opening-day wrap from the state Class A boys tennis tournament