Breck School of Golden Valley is in the hunt for its second consecutive Class A team title at the 2010 State Boys’ Tennis Tournament. If successful, it would be the sixth title for Breck. In Class AA, two-time defending champion Edina lost to Wayzata in the section semifinals, so a new champion will emerge and top-ranked Eagan may be the team to beat.

The singles champions from each class return in search of more gold. Rochester Lourdes senior Ben Kopecky took top honors in the Class A tournament the past two years. Sophomore Dusty Boyer of Forest Lake will attempt to defend his Class AA title.

The tournament is scheduled Tuesday through Friday, June 8 through 11. All Class AA matches will be played at Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis and all Class A matches will take place at the Reed-Sweatt Family Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

Class A Team Highlights

 

Four of the eight qualified teams return, including defending champion Breck School of Golden Valley and runner-up Rochester Lourdes. The other two returning teams are Thief River Falls, fourth, and The Blake School of Minneapolis, fifth.

The quarterfinal match schedule on June 8 (with the final rankings from the Minnesota State High School Tennis Coaches Association): Rochester Lourdes (Section 1 – No. 2) up against Breck School (Section 5 – No. 1) at 8 a.m.; Luverne (Section 3 – unranked) will face Virginia (Section 7 – No. 6) at 10 a.m.; Mound-Westonka (Section 2 – unranked) is pitted against Thief River Falls (Section 8 – No. 5) at noon; and The Blake School (Section 4 – No. 3) will be the first opponent for Foley (Section 6 – unranked) at 2 p.m.

Championship semifinal matches are scheduled at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on June 9, followed by the third-place match at 2 p.m. and the 4 p.m. championship match. Consolation semifinal matches will be played at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on June 8, followed by the consolation championship at noon on June 9.

Class A Singles Highlights

 

Senior Ben Kopecky of Rochester Lourdes returns in search of his third consecutive individual title. He was the No 1.-ranked player in the final coaches’ association poll. St. Paul Academy and Summit School junior John Hill, ranked No. 5 and last year’s fourth-place finisher, also returns.

The field also includes four other competitors with 2009 tournament experience. Senior Jordan Peterson of Staples-Motley made it out of the first round but lost in the quarterfinals. The remaining three 2009 tournament veterans all lost in the first round: Holy Family Catholic sophomore Connor Oberle who was beaten by Kopecky; Lac qui Parle Valley sophomore Jack Hansen; and Pine City senior Derek Lutz.

Only two other ranked players have qualified. Breck School ninth-grader Myles Tang was ranked No. 6 and St. Peter sophomore Mitch Elofson was ranked ninth.

All first-round matches will be played at 8 a.m. on June 10, with quarterfinal matches scheduled at noon the same day. Championship semifinal and consolation semifinal matches will be played at 8 a.m. on June 11, followed by the consolation, third-place and championship matches at 11:30 a.m.

Class A Doubles Highlights

 

Junior Ford Traff of The Blake School of Minneapolis returns in search of more doubles gold. He won with senior Tips Jackley last year. This year Traff, the No. 4-ranked player, will compete with senior Jack Bryant who was ranked No. 2.

Members of the second-, third-, and fourth-place duos also return to this year’s tournament. Breck School senior Grant Bemis, unranked and who won a runner-up medal last year with Andrew Engel, is teamed this year with No. 7-ranked Eric Chien, also a senior. Engel, also unranked, will play this year with junior Felix Mettke. Virginia senior Jordan Krebsbach and junior Cody Mauston finished third last year and stay paired this year as unranked partners. Senior Harry Whitaker of St. Paul Academy and Summit School was fourth last year and his new partner is sophomore Birk Mitau.

Five other players with 2009 tournament experience will also be back. Rochester Lourdes Connor Rust and sophomore Brian Utz lost in the first round. So did Montevideo senior Dakota Frazier with another partner. Benson senior Ben Murphy and Duluth Marshall junior Matt Goldschmidt, each with different partners, made it to the quarterfinals before losing.

All first-round matches will be played at 10 a.m. on June 10, with quarterfinal matches scheduled at 2 p.m. the same day. Semifinal matches will be played at 8 a.m. on June 11, followed by the consolation, third-place and championship matches at 11:30 a.m.

Class AA Team Highlights

 

Six of the eight teams from the 2009 field are back again. Edina, which took championship honors last year, is not among the field, however. The Hornets were defeated 4-3 in the section semifinals by Wayzata, last year’s fourth-place finisher. The other returning teams are: Rochester Mayo, runner-up; Mounds View, third; Eagan, fifth; Elk River, sixth; and Mahtomedi, which lost its first two matches. Eden Prairie and Forest Lake round out the field.

The quarterfinal matches on June 8 (with the final rankings from Associated Press): Rochester Mayo (Section 1 – No. 5) vs. Mounds View (Section 5 – unranked) at 8 a.m.; Eagan (Section 3 – No. 1) vs. Forest Lake (Section 7 – unranked) at 10 a.m.; Eden Prairie (Section 2 – No. 10) vs. Elk River (Section 8 – No. 4) at noon; Mahtomedi (Section 4 – No. 6) vs. Wayzata (Section 6 – No. 8) at 2 p.m.

Championship semifinal matches are scheduled at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on June 9, followed by the third-place match at 2 p.m. and the 4 p.m. championship match. Consolation semifinal matches will be played at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on June 8, followed by the consolation championship at noon on June 9.

Class AA Singles Highlights

 

Forest Lake sophomore Dusty Boyer returns to defend his title and earned the top AP ranking. Six other players with 2009 tournament experience also return, none of whom earned medals. Four of them – Eden Prairie sophomore Scott Elsass, Moorhead junior Tyler Hjalmquist, Edina sophomore Erik Nordahl, and St. Paul Harding junior Sebastian Adesoro – lost in the first round. Juniors Tucker Saxon of Mahtomedi and Eric Frueh of Rochester Century bowed out after the quarterfinals. Saxon was No. 9 and Frueh was the No. 3-ranked player in the final AP poll.

Two other qualifiers also earned Top 10 rankings. Owatonna junior Eric Zishka was No. 4 and Eagan senior Justin Abrams was No. 7.

All first-round matches will be played at 8 a.m. on June 10, with quarterfinal matches scheduled at noon the same day. Consolation and championship semifinal matches will be played at 8 a.m. on June 11, followed by the consolation, third-place and championship matches at 11:30 a.m.

Class AA Doubles Highlights

 

Last year’s runner-up tandem of senior Marcel Gyswyt and junior Ryan Erickson of Hopkins is one of two complete tandems to return this year. Senior Peter Stadum and junior Quinn Foley of Mahtomedi, who lost in the first round, make up the other pair.

None of the other players competed in doubles last year or were ranked in the Top 10 by AP.

All first-round matches will be played at 10 a.m. on June 10, with quarterfinal matches scheduled at 2 p.m. the same day. All semifinal matches will be played at 8 a.m. on June 11, followed by the consolation, third-place and championship matches at 11:30 a.m.