GREENWOOD VILLAGE | In a showdown of two powerhouse programs in the middle of a shortened season, the Regis Jesuit boys tennis team dropped a rare dual match Monday.
The Raiders — winners of the last two Class 5A state championships — were swept by host Cherry Creek in four doubles matches and picked up their lone win from sophomore Cameron Kruep at No. 3 singles in six matches contested before No. 1 singles got suspended due to lightning in the area.
Kruep posted a 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory over James Pearsall to pick up the lone win for coach Laura Jones’ Regis Jesuit team, which dropped to 4-1 on the season.
The Raiders’ No. 2 doubles team of Jack Carbone and James Lynch got off to a flying start with a 6-0 victory over Cherry Creek’s Braden Mayer and Nathan Henden in the opening set, but the Bruins surged to win the next two for an 0-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Kiril and Kristian Kostadinov of Cherry Creek topped Regis Jesuit’s tandem of Grigor Karakelyan and Andy Schuiling at No. 1 doubles by a 6-4, 6-1 score, the Bruins prevailed 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 doubles and the Raiders’ Ryan McCarthy and Brady Jenkins battled before falling 6-4, 7-5 at No. 4 doubles.
Junior Conor Kaczmarczyk battled Cherry Creek’s Matthew Batmunkh before falling 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 singles.
The No. 1 singles matchup — which pitted Regis Jesuit’s Morgan Schilling against Cherry Creek’s George Cavo in a rematch of a semifinal in last season’s state tournament won by Schilling — went to a third set before it was suspended by weather.
Regis Jesuit is scheduled to return to play Tuesday with a home dual match against Mountain Vista.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
