DENVER | The Class 5A Region 7 boys tennis tournament turned out to be decidedly topheavy, as host Regis Jesuit and Fossil Ridge secured each of the 14 available positions in the state tournament.
The Raiders and SaberCats qualified for all three singles and four doubles championship matches when the tournament wrapped up Thursday at Colorado Athletic Club-Monaco and managed to keep the other five teams — which included Smoky Hill from Aurora — out of state.
Coach Laura Jones’ Regis Jesuit team won four of the seven head-t0-head finals matchups, which earned the Raiders 72 points and the regional championship by four points over the SaberCats. Rocky Mountain came in third place with 37 points.
Regis Jesuit’s full team save for No. 1 singles player Chanon Penvari — who lost to Fossil Ridge’s Lucas Smith in the championship match and to Rocky Mountain’s Isaac Smith in a playback — qualified for the Oct. 9-11 5A state tournament at Gates Tennis Center in Denver.
Sophomore Erich Nuss won the regional championship at No. 3 singles for Regis Jesuit, while the No. 2 doubles team of Alec Jotte and Joey Robertson, the No. 3 duo of Truett Davis and Steven Bummer and the No. 4 duo of Luca Abbott and Max Koszowski also took regional crowns.
The No. 1 doubles team of Tommy Koszowski and Patrick Seby also advanced to state despite a straight set loss in the finals, while No. 2 singles player Trace Collins rebounded from a finals loss to top Smoky Hill’s Alex Elkin — who won the third-place match — in a playback for state.
Elkin accounted for all nine of the team points for the Buffaloes.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2014 CLASS 5A REGION 7 BOYS TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Oct. 1-2 at Colorado Athletic Club-Monaco
Team scores: 1. REGIS JESUIT 72, 2. Fossil Ridge 68, 3. Rocky Mountain 37, 4. Rock Canyon 33, 5. SMOKY HILL 9, 6. Northglenn 5, 7. Pomona 0
Championship matches (winners automatically qualify for state)
No. 1 singles: Lucas Martin (Fossil Ridge) def. CHANON PENVARI (REGIS JESUIT), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 singles: Gabe Pagat (Fossil Ridge) def. TRACE COLLINS (REGIS JESUIT), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
No. 3 singles: ERICH NUSS (REGIS JESUIT) def. Jackson Johar (Fossil Ridge), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Max Weiner/Nic Hoime (Fossil Ridge) def. TOMMY KOSZOWSKI/PATRICK SEBY (REGIS JESUIT), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 doubles: ALEC JOTTE/JOEY ROBERTSON (REGIS JESUIT) def. Scott Sunset/David Defrancia (Fossil Ridge), 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 doubles: TRUETT DAVIS/STEVEN BUMMER (REGIS JESUIT) def. Kevin Schultz/Mike Brown (Fossil Ridge), 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
No. 4 doubles: MAX KOSZOWSKI/LUCA ABBOTT (REGIS JESUIT) def. Tristan Faust/Dylan Harris (Fossil Ridge), 7-6, 6-4
Third-place matches
No. 1 singles: Isaac Smith (Rocky Mountain) def. Joe Bove (Rock Canyon), 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 singles: ALEX ELKIN (SMOKY HILL) def. Matt Givin (Rock Canyon), 6-4, 7-6
No. 3 singles: Logan Draper (Rock Canyon) def. Keegan Rowan (Rocky Mountain), 6-1, 7-5
No. 1 doubles: Eric Ortolano/Quentin Strother (Rocky Mountain) def. Bakun/Burger (Northglenn), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
No. 2 doubles: Jonny Titlebaum/Neville Hyllegard (Rocky Mountain) def. Ben Miller/Pearson (Rock Canyon), 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 doubles: Robbie LaNasa/Mitchell Whitten (Rock Canyon) def. Xavier Edgren/Lucas Edgren (Rocky Mountain), 6-1, 7-5
No. 4 doubles: Matt Jacobson/Enger (Rocky Mountain) def. Stromborg/Burkholder (Rock Canyon), 2-6, 7-3, 6-2
PLAYBACKS
No. 1 singles: Isaac Smith (Rocky Mountain) def. CHANON PENVARI (REGIS JESUIT)
No. 2 singles: TRACE COLLINS (REGIS JESUIT) def. ALEX ELKIN (SMOKY HILL)