Sioux Falls Christian holds off defending champion Rapid City Christian in two-day tourney

RAPID CITY — Aberdeen Roncalli closed out strong performance with a third-place finish in the state Class A boys tennis tournament.

Sioux Falls Christian edged defending champion Rapid City Christian 540.5-528, Roncalli took third with 320 and Milbank ninth with 103 in the 11-team field.

Former Aberdeen Central player Mitchell Hofer won the first flight of singles for Sioux Falls Christian, which also got championships from Rex Lefever (second flight), Logan Boyle (fifth flight) and Elijah Lindgren (sixth flight). Jack DeYoung and Lindgren won the third flight of doubles.

Noah Geyer (third flight) and Cain Schaefers (fourth flight) won singles titles for Rapid City Christian. Jack Hancock and Geyer won at No. 1 doubles and Schaefers and Henry Beckloff at No. 2 doubles.

SFC and RCC players met in every singles flight championship and also in the finals of first and second flight of doubles.

Roncalli's strong tournament included third-place finishes in singles by Palmer Johnson at No. 2 and Landon Zikmund at No. 4. Gannon May was fourth at No. 3 and Ezra Feickert fourth at No. 6. Cason Hellwig took fifth at No. 1 and Jayden Reecy fifth at No. 5.

In Doubles, Johnson-May (first flight) and Hellwig-Zikmund (second flight) each placed third. Reecy and Will Haskell took sixth at No. 3.

Charles Whitesitt won the consolation singles championship in the second flight for Milbank. Daniel Shelstad and Alex Baugh fell in the consolation championship at No. 3 doubles.

Here are Tuesday's final team scores, semifinal and championship singles results and championship doubles results.

Final Team Scores

Sioux Falls Christian 540.5, Rapid City Christian 528, Aberdeen Roncalli 320, Huron 235, Lennox 231, Madison 192.5, Pierre 186, St. Thomas More 178.5, Milbank 140, Vermillion 103, Spearfish 32.

Singles Semifinals & Championship Results

First Flight

Semifinals — 1-Mitchell Hofer (SFC) def. 4-Cody Plank (LEN) 6-2, 6-0; 2-Jack Hancock (RCH) def. 3-Dah Christ Moo (HUR) 6-1, 6-4.

Final — 1.-Mitchell Hofer (SFC) def. 2-Jack Hancock (RCH) 6-4, 6-0.

Second Flight

Semifinals — 1-Rex Lefever (SFC) def. 4-Gunnar Geiken (LEN) 6-0, 6-1; 2-Henry Beckloff (RCH) def. 3-Palmer Johnson (ABR) 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Final — 1-Rex Lefever (SFC) def. 2-Henry Beckloff (RCH) 6-2, 7-6(3).

Third Flight

Semifinals — 1-Noah Geyer (RCH) def. 5-Jacob Leiferman (PIE) 6-2, 6-1; 2-Jack Squier (SFC) def. 3-Gannon May (ABR) 6-2, 6-1.

Final — 1-Noah Geyer (RCH) def. 2-Jack Squier (SFC) 6-2, 6-3.

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Fourth Flight

Semifinals — 1-Cain Schaefers (RCH) def. 5-Weston Northrup (PIE) 6-2, 2-6, 10-5; 2-Jack DeYoung (SFC) def. 6-Landon Zikmund (ABR) 6-1, 6-1.

Final —1-Cain Schaefers (RCH) def. 2-Jack DeYoung (SFC) 7-6(4), 7-5.

Fifth Flight

Semifinals — 1-Logan Boyle (SFC) def. 4-Say Poe (HUR) 6-1, 6-3; 3-Ethan Palmer (RCH) def. 2-Elliot Huxford (STM) 2-6, 6-1, 10-3.

Final —1-Logan Boyle (SFC) def. 3-Ethan Palmer (RCH) 5-7, 6-1, 11-9.

Sixth Flight

Semifinals — 1-Elijah Lindgren (SFC) def. 5-Oliver Huxford (STM) 7-6 (0), 6-3; 2-Hudson Selfridge (RCH) def. 3-Ezra Feickert (ABR) 6-2, 6-2.

Final — 1-Elijah Lindgren (SFC) def. 2-Hudson Selfridge (RCH) 6-2, 6-3.

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Doubles Championships

First Flight

Final — 2-J. Hancock/N. Geyer (RCH) def. 1-M. Hofer/J. Squier (SFC) 4-6, 6-1, 10-8.

Second Flight

Final — 2-H. Beckloff/C. Schaefers (RCH) def. 1-R. Lefever/L. Boyle (SFC) 5-7, 6-0, 10-5.

Third Flight

Final — 1-J. DeYoung/E. Lindgren (SFC) def. 7-C. Steuerwald/M. Studer (MAD) 6-2, 6-3.

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: Final wrapup of the two-day state Class A high school boys tennis tourney