Holland Christian Wins 6 Flights, Claims 1st Team Championship since 1965
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
October 23, 2024
MIDLAND – Holland Christian, for several years a Lower Peninsula Division 3 boys tennis program, has found Division 4 to its liking this season.
The Maroons captured the Division 4 championship Tuesday at the Midland Tennis Center, rolling to the title with 33 points ahead of runner-up Maple City Glen Lake at 23. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett was third with 21.
Heading into the semifinals, Holland Christian carried a one-point lead over Glen Lake, with University Liggett a distant third with 16 points. The championship was the Maroons’ fifth but first since 1965, with its best Finals finish since coming in second in Division 3 in 1998. They had finished fourth in Division 3 in 2023 before moving into Division 4 for this season.
“We’re used to seeing teams (like) Detroit Country Day and Cranbrook; that’s part of it,’’ said Henry Langejans, a senior on the Maroons top-seeded doubles team with Lucas Van Wieren. “Stepping down to D-4 is a factor. We expected to be here.’’
Holland Christian won six flights, with a sweep at doubles. Langejans and Van Wieren captured the title at No. 1 doubles with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Landen Maltby and Luca Marciano of Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, and Tyler Hemmeke and Gavin Swiftney defeated Liggett’s Griffin Machal and Niko Cooksey at No. 2, 6-3, 7-6. Sophomores Michael Gorno and Graham Tanis prevailed with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Casey Jackson and Brady Thelen of Traverse City St. Francis, and Levi King and Jack DeYoung got the best of Liggett’s Davis Ford and Lucas Ferguson at No. 4 doubles 6-3, 6-4.
Gorno is the son of Holland Christian coach Steve Gorno.
“Playing for my dad is amazing,’’ said Michael. “He has taught me everything I know about tennis. We have a great coaching staff. We’ve been blessed to have our three coaches.
“We’ve been ranked No. 1 all year. We’ve had a target on our backs, so we’ve gotten every team’s best all year.’’
The runner-up finish was Glen Lake’s best all-time, and coach John Voss also noted this season’s Regional title was his program’s first since 2002. “We have players in No. 2 and No. 3 singles so we’ve had a good year,’’ said Voss. “This has been our best year.’’
Lakers senior Michael Houtteman, the top seed at No. 3 singles, said his team’s run started before the season. He defeated Edwin Seo of Berrien Springs, 6-2, 6-1, to clinch his flight.
“A lot of us have been putting the work in before the season,’’ said Houtteman. “We got tennis courts at the school my freshman year. I think a lot of us are playing our best tennis now. We have a lot of seniors. We’re all pretty amped us. A couple of flights lost, but they are out cheering us on as hard as they can.’’
No. 1 singles was a battle between friends: Freshman top-seed Oliver Caldwell of Grand Rapids West Catholic and Owen Jackson of Traverse City St. Francis.
After entering the Finals 1-1 against each other, Caldwell prevailed this time, winning 6-2, 6-3.
“He was the only person I lost to this year,’’ said Caldwell. “I’ve had a great season. He’s a great player. We go way back. I used to live in the Traverse City area, and we went to the same tennis school.’’
Holland Chrisitan’s Dylan Becksvoort defeated Hawthorn Sutherland of Glen Lake 6-3, 7-5, to win No. 2 singles. At No. 4, Holland Christian freshman Nicco Grosso defeated senior Hayden Riley of Lansing Catholic 6-1, 6-3.
“I’m kind of emotional right now because I’ve been working all year for this,’’ said Grosso. “Since the summer, Coach has had this planned out. We didn’t necessarily have the lineup, but the plan was there.’’
PHOTOS (Top) Holland Christian’s Lucas Van Wieren winds up during a No. 1 doubles match Tuesday at Midland Tennis Center. (Middle) The Maroons’ Tyler Hemmeke serves at No. 2 doubles. (Below) Grand Rapids West Catholic’s Oliver Caldwell shows intensity during a No. 1 singles match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
In Memoriam: Tiger Teusink (1936-2021)
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 9, 2021
Dwayne “Tiger” Teusink, a longtime Holland tennis legend and a prominent foundation builder for MHSAA tennis at the statewide level, died Monday, three days before his 85th birthday. A coach for nearly a half-century, he also continued to assist the MHSAA in administering the sport nearly until his death.
Teusink, a 1954 graduate of Holland High and later Hope College, began his teaching career at Wyoming Lee, then moved on to teach and coach high school tennis at Jackson for seven years and then Holland for 35. He retired from teaching in 1989 but continued to coach at Holland High until 1998. He also served for a time as athletic director.
He leant a significant behind-the-scenes voice in the formation of high school tennis as it’s played in Michigan today. He was on the committee that in 1976 introduced the flighted MHSAA tournament structure developed to promote a team format that remains the standard. While at Holland, Teusink managed 63 Regional and 17 MHSAA Finals tournaments, and he served on the Finals seeding committee from 1980-2011. He continued assisting with the draw through 2019 and provided data for Finals seeding through this spring.
Teusink coached high school teams to a 453-176-4 record with 13 conference and 16 MHSAA Regional titles, and his Holland boys team was a runner-up at the 1976 Class A Final. He also coached at Hope College from 1994-2009. Holland High School’s tennis facility was renamed “Tiger Teusink Courts” in 2016.
Teusink earned induction into the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1986, the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1989 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003. He was named National High School Coach of the Year by the United States Tennis Association in 2005, receiving his award at the U.S. Open.
Click for his obituary, and also for a Second Half feature from 2016.
PHOTO: Tiger Teusink stands with the plaque presented to him in 2016, when the Holland High School tennis courts were renamed in his honor. (Photo courtesy of the Holland athletic department.)