Greenhills Takes Back Top Spot in D4

By Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com

October 20, 2018

KALAMAZOO — Winning six of eight flights, Ann Arbor Greenhills took home the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 4 team trophy Saturday at Kalamazoo College, the Gryphons’ first championship in three years but ninth over the last 11.

Greenhills clinched the title during the semifinals, but the real dogfight was for second place between Traverse City St. Francis and Allegan.

St. Francis won out with 26 points to Allegan’s 23, both behind Greenhills’ 38.

Ludington was fourth with 15 points, and fifth was a three-way tie between Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Grand Rapids Catholic Central and Grosse Ile with 13 points each. 

“We were pretty deep and added a couple singles players to the top of the lineup,” Greenhills coach Eric Gajar said of his team’s success. “A guy who transferred and sat out last year at No. 1 (junior Sahil Deenadayalu) and a freshman (Mert Oral) who came in and played No. 3.

“We got to sort of bulk up the singles lineup, which meant we had some guys in the doubles lineup who were pretty good players as well.”

All six Greenhills winners were top seeds at their flights.

St. Francis coach Paul Bandrowski was thrilled with second place, the highest the team has ever placed.

“We’ve worked hard, and it took every single player to get there to make it work,” he said. “Every single player contributed at least one point from No. 4 doubles winning one match to the No. 3 doubles winning two points.

“We had a huge, huge two three-setters at No. 1 singles (in the quarters and semis) and won both of them. It took a battle at every position at every flight to fight through and win this.”

Gajar knew what to expect in the fight with Allegan, which switched divisions this fall.

“They were always a great Division 3 team, and they’re a great Division 4 team,” he said. “It took everything to beat them. We were fighting them all the way.

“We were head-to-head right to the end. Literally down to the last matches on the court at the state finals. The last hour on a rainy day inside at multiple locations.”

Allegan coach Gary Ellis was surprised to find his Tigers in D-4 for the first time ever.

“It was a shock, but a lot of good coaches and a lot of good teams,” he said. “We know Greenhills and St. Francis are as tough as anybody in D-3, and most of the teams in D-2.

“I knew it was going to be tough. I was very pleased with the way our guys played, too. We knocked off some seeds. We won some tough matches. We had five in the semis and three in the finals.”

Third is the highest Allegan’s boys team has ever finished.

At No. 1 singles, Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett sophomore Will Cooksey breezed to a 6-0 first-set lead in the final before squeaking out the second set 7-6 with a 7-2 tiebreak over Deenadayalu to win the flight for the second straight season.

The only Liggett player still competing Saturday, Cooksey thanked the large contingent of players and parents for staying to cheer him on.

As reigning flight champ, “I felt a little pressure just knowing I had to repeat what I did, but it was a new opponent and I just want to congratulate Sahil on a great tournament,” Cooksey said. “He put up a great fight there at the end, and he worked really hard to get there.”

Deenadayalu knew he would have a tough match against his friend.

“Will’s just a great competitor, and he came out firing,” he said. “I didn’t really know what to do. I kind of eased into it in the second set.

“I started to step up more, hit bigger shots, and I started to go for a lot more on my serve. Then it started to work.”

A pair of Greenhills brothers, junior Kaan Oral and freshman Mert Oral, won at Nos. 2 and 3 singles.

Kaan Oral, who defeated St. Francis senior Elliott Bandrowski, 6-4, 6-1, went on court after his brother finished playing.

“I have to keep up the winning way,” he said. “I’ve played Elliott four times in two years and every time he comes out hitting those big shots. It was a great match. Kudos to him.”

Bandrowski, whose father coaches St. Francis, said he thought he played well in the first set.

“Actually I played pretty well throughout the entire thing,” he said. “(Oral) was able to figure out what I was doing a little bit and he was able to put some more balls in, and I started missing a bit more.

“I would say the biggest difference was him being able to put one more ball in than me.”

Mert Oral defeated St. Francis sophomore Charlie Schmude, 6-1, 6-0.

“I think that I’m really consistent and I’ve also been working on my serve, so I got a fair amount of free points,” Oral said. “Also, I think I was mentally strong on key points.”

Schmude credited his team with helping him get to the finals.

“I think my forehand is pretty big, but I wouldn’t have gotten here without my team playing good,” he said. “Last year I got third in 3 doubles. I’ve been playing singles all my life through USTA, so I like singles.”

Greenhills senior Taha Zirapury defeated St. Francis freshman Cody Richards, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 4 singles.

“We’ve worked really hard this season, and to end it on a high note like this is amazing, especially senior year,” Zirapury said. “To really end your tennis career with a state title is really special.”

Zirapury figured playing a freshman would not be an easy task.

“I’ve seen some really good freshmen,” he said. “Our No. 3 singles is an amazing freshman. Going into it, I knew he was going to be a great tennis player, and I was up for the challenge.”

Richards won five games from Zirapury, who lost only four games total in the previous three matches.

“I learned that in every match you have a chance to win no matter who you go against,” he said.

While Greenhills’ No. 2 doubles semifinal match was the tournament clincher, the duo lost in the final to St. Francis top seeds Sean Navin and Brandon Chouinard in a nail-biter, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5).

Second seeds Drake Rosenberg and Joey Formicola did not know their semis win was the clincher.

The doubles semis were moved indoors to Minges Creek Athletic Club in Battle Creek before the finals were played at K-College’s Markin Raquet Center.

Moving inside was a plus for Rosenberg and Formicola, who were surprised at winning the crucial point.

“I’m not a fan favorite of the wind,” Formicola said. “My forehand’s very good indoors, and my serve is pretty big, and it’s a huge plus to our game to be inside.”

Navin and Chouinard were the only St. Francis individual title winners.

They were tucked back on Court 4 at the Markin Center, the farthest from the bleachers.

“The crowd was crazy,” Navin said. “I could hear two or three people after every single point. It was great to know they were behind us.”

Chouinard said one of the team’s goals was to finish first or second at the Finals “but we knew first was going to be hard because Greenhills is such a great team.”

At No. 1 doubles, Greenhills’ Trey Feldeisen and Henry Branch defeated third seeds Zach Sisson and Zach Lang of Allegan, 6-4, 6-1.

No. 3 doubles winners were Greenhills’ Nathan Rosenberg and Finn Feldeisen over Allegan second seeds Owen Clearwater and Walker Michaels, 6-2, 6-2.

At No. 4 doubles, Greenhills’ Harrison Li and Alex Schwendeman defeated Allegan second seeds Vance Muenzer and Ben Groth, 6-4, 6-0.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Greenhills' Mert Oral sends a backhand during No. 3 singles action action at the Division 4 Final at Kalamazoo College. (Middle) University Liggett's Will Cooksey makes his way to a repeat title at No. 1 singles Saturday. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)

Final Match Decides UP D2 Champions

May 28, 2015

By Craig Remsburg
Special for Second Half

NEGAUNEE — It came down to the last match of the day.

Iron Mountain needed a win at No. 1 doubles to forge a tie with Westwood for the Upper Peninsula Division 2 boys tennis title.

Coach Greg Stegall’s Mountaineers got what they wanted.

Iron Mountain’s Danny Willman and Jordan Wadge outlasted Munising’s Joel Werner and Nick Cercone in a grueling match, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, to compile 13 team points for a share of the division crown with defending champion Westwood.

“I’m really happy,” Stegall said. “We didn’t come in here as the favorite to win, but everything went well for us and other teams had some upsets.

“My No. 1 doubles had to win that match, my No. 4 doubles (Mark Koeschner and Jake LeFebre) winning was the biggest surprise and my No. 3 singles (Tyson Wadge) winning was huge for him. He had lost to his opponent (Brett Fredrickson of Westwood) twice this season and wasn’t looking forward to meeting him.”

The Mountaineers’ Willman said he and Wadge were “very consistent” in their match, save for the first set.

“(Munising) was returning everything and we knew we had to work harder,” Willman said.

Added Wadge: “Coach (Stegall) told us to take it slower, keep the ball in play and let them make mistakes.”

Like Iron Mountain, Westwood placed four flights in the finals. The Patriots won two of them.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” said Westwood coach Chris Jackson. “I didn’t know how things would pan out going in, but overall, the team did well.

“This was the most balanced division since I’ve been here (six years). Every flight had a definite favorite with no trend(s).

“Depth led us,” he added. “There was only one flight where we took a zero.”

Westwood has now won three of the last four division titles, two outright.

Jake Kerkela of Westwood captured the No. 4 singles crown, 6-1, 6-1, over Munising’s Jared Immel. It was the sophomore Kerkela’s first title in this, his first season, on the varsity.

“My serve was good today,” he said. “I tried to keep the ball alive and not get too crazy.”

Brandon Benda and Hunter Roose — who won last year’s No. 4 doubles championship — gave the Patriots their other triumph, at No. 3 doubles over West Iron County’s Kevin Ballinger and Tyler McCarthy, 6-3, 6-0.

“(West Iron) played the alleys well,” Roose said, “so we adjusted by moving toward the alleys more.”

Added Benda: “We took control in the second set. We placed our shots well, got to the net and spiked the ball.”

Claiming the No. 1 singles championship was Micah Heath of Gwinn. He beat Munising’s Joel Schramm, 6-3, 6-3; Schramm was trying to become the Mustangs’ third straight winner in the flight. Noah Ackerman had won two straight. 

“From Day 1 (this season), my goal was to win the U.P.’s” Heath said Thursday. “I’ve been trying since my freshman year and now, I’ve reached my goal. This is icing on the cake.”

Heath said his strategy was to “be consistent and keep my head in the zone.” 

“I get frustrated when things don’t go my way,” he said.

That wasn’t the case Thursday, as Heath overcame an early bout of nerves to largely control his match. 

“I was a little nervous early, but then I hit a couple of points and some confidence set in,” he said. 

“At the beginning of the second set, I won two straight games to go up 2-1, and the momentum started going my way.”

Gwinn coach Dan Turecky said Heath’s “control of the play” was the difference in the match.

“Micah was mentally tough and confident,” the coach said. “That was the difference in the match. I’m so proud of him.” 

Said Munising coach Rod Gendron: “Micah’s the best player in the U.P. He played great today.”

Munising’s lone win came at No. 2 doubles, where Mikey Graves and Ian McInnis knocked off Jake Kierzek and Nathen Nelson of Westwood, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. 

“We were down many times, but we stayed together,” Graves said. “We started playing with each other and not as individuals.

Added McInnis: “We weren’t really focused in the first set, but the last two sets, we were ready." 

Munising placed four flights in the finals, but won just the one.

“I’m extremely happy with four flights in the finals,” Gendron commented. “My guys left it all on the court.” 

Ishpeming picked up a win at No. 2 singles, where Cody Johnson beat Iron Mountain’s Luke Truscott, 6-2, 6-1. 

“I was really nervous coming in,” Johnson said. “I started off slow, but took control the beginning of the second set. My serve has always been good. 

“It’s crazy. (Winning a U.P. individual title) is not done very often at Ishpeming. It has been an exciting year.”

Said Ishpeming coach Erl Langness: “Cody has been consistent all year. Whether he wins or loses, he puts forth the same effort.”

Johnson has the distinction of participating in MHSAA Finals play in football, wrestling and tennis this school year. 

"I couldn’t ask for anything more,” he said.

Click for full results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Iron Mountain's Tyson Wadge returns the ball to Westwood's Brett Fredrickson during the championship match at No. 3 singles at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 2 Final held at Negaunee High School on Thursday. Wadge prevailed, 6-0, 6-0.  (Middle) Gwinn's Micah Heath earned the No. 1 singles flight championship at the U.P. Division 2 Final. (Photos by Elizabeth Bailey.)