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Class A tourney set for Monday and Tuesday and AA for Thursday and Friday at Rapid City

roger merriam, watertown public opinion
·6 min read

RAPID CITY — For the second time in four years, a Sioux Falls sweep of the state boys tennis team titles is a distinct possibility.

Sioux Falls Lincoln has won nine-straight state tournaments, the final six under the one-class system and each of the three Class AA titles held when a two-class system was implemented in 2021. Sioux Falls Christian won the first state Class A title in 2021 and is the likely pre-tourney favorite again this spring over defending champion Rapid City Christian.

The two state high school tournaments are set to run next week with the 11-team Class A tourney running Monday and Tuesday and the 14-team Class AA tourney to follow on Thursday and Friday.

Play begins at 8 a.m. Mountain (9 a.m. Central) each day at the Sioux Park and Parkview Courts. The schedule is subject to change.

Here's a closer look at each tourney:

Sioux Falls Lincoln's Rocky McKenzie (left) and Drew Gohl celebrate a point during a high school boys tennis triangular on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at the Highland Park courts in Watertown.
Sioux Falls Lincoln's Rocky McKenzie (left) and Drew Gohl celebrate a point during a high school boys tennis triangular on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at the Highland Park courts in Watertown.

Class A

Rapid City Christian won its first state tennis championship last May and does have three players back who won sate Class A singles titles in 2023. The group includes sophomores Josh Hancock and Henry Beckloff and freshman Noah Geyer.

Hancock won the fourth flight of singles, Geyer the fifth flight and Beckloff the sixth flight. That may not mean much since Hancock has moved up to No. 1, Beckloff No. 2 and Geyer No. 3 this spring. Hancock has been part of runner-up doubles teams in the second flight each of the past two seasons but is now playing first flight with Geyer, who teams with Beckloff to win the third flight of doubles last spring.

Still, there are a number of reasons that Sioux Falls Christian could be the team to beat. The Chargers went 16-4 in duals (11-0 against Class A teams) this spring and posted 7-2 and 6-3 wins over Rapid City Christian.

"Those two teams are probably right at the top," Roncalli head coach Jason Haskell admitted. "Most likely, from a team standpoint, it's going to behard to catch either one."

Official seeding won't be finalized until the seed meeting on Sunday but freshman Mitchell Hofer (24-1 at No. 1 singles), sophomore Rex Lefever (20-5 at No. 2), freshman Logan Boyle (19-6 at No. 5) and seventh-grader Elijah Lindgren (11-2 at No. 6) all are likely No. 1 seeds for Sioux Falls Christian along with its doubles teams of Hofer- sophomore Jack Squier (20-5 at No. 1), Lefever-Boyle (21-4 at No. 2) and sophomore Jack DeYoung-Lindgren (19-6 at No. 3). Hofer played No. 1 for Class AA Aberdeen Central last spring.

Aberdeen Roncalli's Palmer Johnson charges to hit the ball during a high school boys tennis dual against Watertown on Monday, April 15, 2024 at the Highland Park courts in Watertown. Watertown won 9-0.
Aberdeen Roncalli's Palmer Johnson charges to hit the ball during a high school boys tennis dual against Watertown on Monday, April 15, 2024 at the Highland Park courts in Watertown. Watertown won 9-0.

Haskell feels like Lennox, Huron, Pierre and even his own Roncalli team could have an interesting battle for the No. 3-through-No. 6 spots. Other schools competing include Madison, Milbank, Spearfish, St. Thomas More and Vermillion.

"There's a bunch of teams in the next tier (after SFC and RCC)," Haskell said. "I felt going into the system that if we got fifth, we'd be holding court. If the seeds fall right and we have a good tournament, we could end up as high as third."

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Cason Hellwig (No. 1), Palmer Johnson (17-6 at No. 2), Landon Zikmund (14-9 at No. 4) and Jayden Reecy (13-10 at No. 5) are senior leaders for Roncalli, which also features Gannon May (16-7 at No. 3) and sophomore Ezra Feickert (15-8 at No. 6). Johnson-May are 15-8 at No. 1 dou bles, Hellwig-Zikmund 13-4 at No. 2 and Reecy-freshman Will Haskell 9-7 at No. 3.

Joe Schulte (No. 1) and Daniel Shelstad (No. 5) are the two seniors for Milbank.

Watertown's Evan Meester reaches out to make a backhand return during a high school boys tennis dual against Aberdeen Roncalli on Monday, April 15, 2024 at the Highland Park courts in Watertown. Watertown won 9-0.
Watertown's Evan Meester reaches out to make a backhand return during a high school boys tennis dual against Aberdeen Roncalli on Monday, April 15, 2024 at the Highland Park courts in Watertown. Watertown won 9-0.

Class AA

Class AA has some strong teams, including O'Gorman and Sioux Falls Washington and Eastern South Dakota Conference Harrisburg and runner-up Yankton, but catching Lincoln could take somewhat of a miracle.

Coach Tom Krueger's squad has compiled an 18-0 dual record this spring after bring back five singles state champions from last spring — senior Rocky McKenzie at No. 1, senior Drew Gohl at No. 2, sophomore River McKenzie at No. 3, sophomore Christopher Tao at No. 5 and junior Jacob Husser at No. 6.

Rocky McKenzie is 16-1, Gohl 18-1, River McKenzie 18-0, Tao 17-0, Jacob Husser 14-2 and freshman Connor Husser 18-1. Rocky McKenzie-Gohl, River-Tao and Husser-Husser are a combined 50-0 in doubles.

Rocky McKenzie, who has signed to play collegiately at Creighton University, is already a four-time state indivdual and doubles champion. It could have been five if the 2020 season wasn't wiped out by COVID-19.

"The ESD will be very represented along with the three very strong Sioux Falls schools," Watertown coach Ryan Zink said.

Sioux Falls Washington's Harold Mayer (right) gets ready to cut in front of doubles partner Chase Rima to hit the ball during a high school boys tennis dual against Watertown that was held indoors at Watertown High School on Friday, April 19, 2024. Washington won the dual 6-3.
Sioux Falls Washington's Harold Mayer (right) gets ready to cut in front of doubles partner Chase Rima to hit the ball during a high school boys tennis dual against Watertown that was held indoors at Watertown High School on Friday, April 19, 2024. Washington won the dual 6-3.

O'Gorman sophomore Liam Sarmiento (15-2) is back to defend his fourth-flight singles championships. Sophomore Will Koziara, now at No. 1, is a past Class AA state singles champion as is Washington junior Harold Mayer (also at No. 2). Mayer and freshman Chase Rima (now at No. 1) won a third-flight doubles title and senior Jacob Morgans was part of the second-flight doubles championship teamin 2022.

Other Class AA schools are Aberdeen Central, Brandon Valley, Brookings, Mitchell, Rapid City Central and Stevens, Sioux Falls Jefferson and Roosevelt and Watertown. Watertown finished eighth and Abedeen Central 10th at state last spring.

Seniors Curtis Sneden (12-9 at No. 1), Evan Meester (14-6 at No. 2) and Justin Remmers (17-5 at No. 3) are leaders for a Watertown team that also features sophomore Joey Meester (7-11 at No. 4), junior Skyler Stanton (14-8 at No. 5) and freshman Matthew Bertsch (15-7 at No. 6). Sneden-e. Meester and Remmers-Stanton are each 15-7 at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. J. Meester and Sam Karst at 15-6 at No. 3.

Aberdeen Central's AJ Prehn (left) and Mitchell Hofer celebrate after scoring a point in a first-flight singles match during the state 2023 Class AA high school boys tennis tournament. The two-day event concluded on Friday, May 19 at Sioux Falls.
Aberdeen Central's AJ Prehn (left) and Mitchell Hofer celebrate after scoring a point in a first-flight singles match during the state 2023 Class AA high school boys tennis tournament. The two-day event concluded on Friday, May 19 at Sioux Falls.

"I want the kids to have fun and compete as har as they can. If they do that, I think we should have a good showing at state," Zink said. "I have truly enjoyed coaching the three seniors over the years. They have been part of the varsity team for three or four years and have meant a lot to me and Arrow tennis. They are great kids and represent Watertown in a positive way."

Aberdeen Central's lineup includes junior AJ Prehn at no. 1, junior Mason Ligon at No. 3, eighth-grader Dawson Pederson at No. 3, freshman Aric Tennant at No. 4, junior Mika Dannen at No. 5 and sophomore Gannon Pederson at No. 6. Prehn-Ligon, Dannen-G. Pederson and D. Pederson-Brock Anderson are the doubles' tandems.

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: Preview of state Class AA and A boys tennis tournaments next week