By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Elkhorn Area High School’s Colin Passler at No. 3 singles and Nick White at No. 4 singles each finished fourth in their flight May 26 in a WIAA Division 1 boys high school sectional tournament at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
The Elks’ Matt Nelson, at No. 1 singles, and Carter Olsen and Logan Riese at No. 1 doubles each lost their first match at the sectional competition and did not contest another match.
No one from Elkhorn advanced to the WIAA Division 1 State Tennis Championships. The event begins today and concludes Saturday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
“We have a very competitive crossover sectional,” Elks assistant coach Donna Neshek said. “Our students that played at sectionals showed grit. Everyone came to support their teammates, and our up and coming player show lots of promise.”
The top four finishers in Flight 1 and the top finisher in Flight 2 in singles and doubles at each sectional, plus special qualifiers determined by the State Seeding Committee, play in the state tournament.
As a team the Elks tied for sixth in the sectional with a total of 18 points. Verona won the sectional with 38 points.
Passler and White each lost their first match at the sectional tournament and played for third place in their respective flights. Passler lost 6-4, 6-2 to Lake Geneva Badger’s Jhon Nicia and White lost 6-0, 6-2 to Badger’s Josh Bakken.
Nelson advanced to the sectional meet with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Fort Atkinson’s Tanner Bakken May 23 at a WIAA Division 1 subsectional tournament at Badger High School in Lake Geneva.
At No. 2 singles, the Elks’ Brant Christensen beat Parker’s Nolan Twining in straight sets before losing to Fort Atkinson’s Collin Baker in three sets.
Baker won the first set 6-3 and Christensen won the second set 6-4 before Baker won the third set 6-4.
Passler advanced after beating Janesville Parker’s Garrett Masterson in straight sets and beating Milton’s Zach Richard 6-4, 6-1.
White beat Janesville Craig’s Avery Hanel 7-5, 6-0 and Beloit Memorial’s Aidan Murphy 6-4, 6-2 at the subsectional.
Olsen and Riese defeated Beloit Memorial’s Reese Collins and Deo Edwards 6-3, 6-4.
At No. 2 doubles, Joe Korosec and Drayke Webster beat Craig’s Brennan Elgas and Zach Hanel in the opening round at the subsectional and lost in three sets to Milton’s Robby Boden and Neil Garcia and did not advance.
Boden and Garcia won the first set 6-2 before Korosec and Webster won the second set 6-2. Boden and Garcia won the third set 6-2.
Seth Kirkpatrick and Ian Tuck finished 1-1 at the subsectional in No. 3 doubles and did not advance. The two beat Memorial’s Matt Vieth and Travis Dao 6-1, 6-1 before losing in three sets to Milton’s Sean Harvatine and Grant Kosharek.
Kirkpatrick and Tuck won the first set 6-2 before losing the second set 6-3 and third set 6-2.
At the subsectional meet, those who reach the semifinals in Flight 1 in singles or doubles play and those who reach the finals in Flights 2, 3, or 4 singles and Flights 2 and 3 doubles advanced to a sectional tournament Wednesday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus.
