Rain Can't Soak Olivier, Negaunee 3-Peats
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
May 30, 2018
KINGSFORD — What rain delay?
A pause in the action due to the elements for more than two hours failed to slow down Marquette junior Alec Olivier on Wednesday as he earned his third consecutive No. 1 singles tennis title in a 6-0, 6-0 conquest of Negaunee senior Luke Skewis at the Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals at Kingsford High School.
“I guess I just played well,” said Olivier, who also went undefeated for the third straight season. “I’ve had rain delays in other matches. It’s not that big of a problem. I just drank a lot of water, did some stretching (exercises) and walked around and stayed loose during the break.
“I’m glad we got it finished today. I was willing to stay here as long as it took.”
Negaunee, which won six of eight flights, was crowned champion for the third straight season with 22 points. The Miners were followed by Escanaba with 14 and Kingsford with eight among top finishers.
“We knew there was potential to be pushed by Kingsford and Escanaba,” said Miners’ coach Kyle Saari. “The unique thing about this group is they’re coachable. They buy into everything we tell them and push each other to be better.
“It feels great to win three in a row. This all started for us in 2010, and we’ve since won seven of nine. Every group wants to build upon the success of the previous.”
Olivier went right back to work after the rain delay, placing many of his overhand shots with near pinpoint accuracy. The match ended when Skewis was unable to return one of Olivier’s serves.
“I’ve been around (high school tennis) since 1971,” said Marquette coach Charlie Drury. “Without any question, he’s the best player I’ve seen at the high school level within that span. He’s a very dedicated player.”
Among Negaunee’s champions were juniors Peyton Anderson and Jake Larson, who rallied past Escanaba seniors Alex Valentine and Soren Thompson (4-6, 6-2, 6-1) in No. 2 doubles.
“We started playing with more energy after the first set,” said Larson, a U.P. champion at No. 4 doubles a year ago. “It took us a little while to get back in the flow after the rain delay. Then, we understood what was happening. There’s a lot of difference between No. 2 and No. 4 doubles. “I’ve learned not to get mad at myself, which didn’t work today in the first set. It’s nice seeing everybody happy with the results. Kingsford and Escanaba are always good. We know they’re always going to give us a match.”
Senior Josh Grassel became the first Escanaba player since 2012 to win a flight in the U.P. Finals, taking a 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 decision from Negaunee sophomore Chas Kumpula at No. 2 singles.
Grassel forced the tie-breaker in the second set by overcoming a 5-2 deficit. Kumpula, however, was able to hang on and force the third. Grassel responded by taking a 3-0 lead in the finale.
“When it went to 3-0, I felt my chances were pretty good,” said Grassel. “I think I may have caught him by surprise in the third set. I felt I had a lot of momentum at the end of the second set, even though he won it. I thought (Kumpula) played well. He’s a good player for being as young as he is.”
Also among Negaunee’s champions was Tom Sertich, who blanked Escanaba senior Nathan Pascoe 6-0, 6-0 in No. 3 singles. Freshman Will Luke dispatched Escanaba’s Cody Stevens 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Sophomores Jakson Sager and Drew Lindberg outlasted Kingsford juniors Duante Fortner and Tyler Beauchamp (7-5, 1-6, 6-2) in No. 1 doubles, and senior Evan Hassell and junior Tom Kinjorski defeated Escanaba’s Garrett LaMarch and Tom Mayville (6-2, 7-5) at No. 4.
PHOTOS: (Top) Negaunee’s Jakson Sager and Drew Lindberg volley with an opponent on the way to winning the No. 1 doubles title Wednesday at Kingsford. (Middle) Marquette’s Alec Olivier returns a shot during one of his matches; he claimed his third MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 1 championship at No. 1 singles. (Photos by Adam Niemi.)
Bloomfield Hills' Pierce Shaya Playing for 4th Flight Title, 3rd Team Championship
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
October 18, 2024
BLOOMFIELD HILLS — Pierce Shaya’s career thus far at the MHSAA Boys Tennis Finals has been akin to eating at a buffet line, with there being a lot of variety that satisfies an appetite.
In his case, the appetite that’s been satisfied has been individual championships won in an unusual variety of ways.
When Shaya was a freshman, he won the Lower Peninsula Division 1 title at No. 3 singles with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Noah Vogel of Ann Arbor Pioneer.
As a sophomore, Shaya won another Finals title, but this time it wasn’t as an individual. He played No. 1 doubles alongside Merrick Chernett, and that duo won it all over Troy’s tandem of Srihari Ananthalwan and Rushil Kagithala.
Last year, Shaya went back to singles but was the team’s No. 2 player behind sophomore Jonah Chernett. Shaya controlled what he could control, winning the crown at No. 2 singles with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Chad Anderson of Rochester.
Three years, three different flights and three LPD1 Finals championships is certainly not a traditional resume for a high school tennis player. But that is the route Shaya has taken.
“I didn’t go into high school thinking I would play three different spots,” he said. “But I guess it’s very cool to be able to win it and now attempt to go 4-for-4.”
Indeed, Shaya this weekend will have a chance to add another highlight to his championship-laden career.
With Chernett not on the team this year because he moved to Florida, Shaya finally got the chance to play at No. 1 singles in his final year of high school and has taken full advantage of the opportunity.
Shaya is 20-1 on the season and seeded No. 1 at No. 1 singles for the Division 1 tournament taking place at Byron Center West Sports Complex and Grand Rapids South Christian.
His only loss came to Rochester Hills Stoney Creek’s Andrew Vincler, who is seeded second at No. 1 singles.
“Obviously everyone is gunning for me,” Shaya said. “It doesn’t really matter to me because I still have to go through everyone to win it. But the seeding is nice to show my season’s work paid off.”
Shaya also will be looking to help lead Bloomfield Hills to a third-straight team title.
Bloomfield Hills head coach Greg Burks had no doubt that Shaya would be able to handle the role as the team’s top man this year, and he has seen Shaya save his best for his last high school season.
“I would say his biggest improvements over the past year have been his forehand and serve,” Burks said. “They are both much bigger and heavier and at this level and the level he wants to get to, having both of those is a must. His volleys have also improved significantly.”
Shaya also hopes to have another title double with his younger brother, Connor, a junior.
Connor won at No. 3 singles last year with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Northville’s Josh Kim, and he is the second seed at No. 2 singles this weekend.
“I think our parents would love that,” Pierce Shaya said. “We trained a lot from (ages) 10 to 13.”
Shaya has a future in tennis beyond this weekend, as he has committed to play for the University of Michigan.
When he gets to Ann Arbor, he hopes his unique high school journey will have included four Finals titles in four different flights.
“It’s a very cool situation, I think,” Shaya said.
Keith Dunlap has served in Detroit-area sports media for more than two decades, including as a sportswriter at the Oakland Press from 2001-16 primarily covering high school sports but also college and professional teams. His bylines also have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press, the Houston Chronicle and the Boston Globe. He served as the administrator for the Oakland Activities Association’s website from 2017-2020. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTO Bloomfield Hills Pierce Shaya takes a photo last season after receiving his championship medal. (Photo courtesy of State Champs Sports Network.)