Cloquet netters hope for high region seed

The Cloquet boys tennis team may wind up as the third seed in the coming section playoffs. They earned the runner-up position in the Lake Superior Conference this week.

Cloquet fell 6-1 in the Lake Superior Conference championship match to perennial power Duluth Marshall on Monday.

“We knew Marshall would be an excellent team as they only graduated two starters from a state tournament qualifier last season,” coach Steve Rickstrom said, “but we were still a little disappointed that we didn’t play better.”

The ‘Jacks hoped for an upset hung on No. 1 singles player Colton Roy and all three of the doubles teams, but in the end Marshall’s depth won out.

“Obviously we fell a little short, but we had some moments out there that gave us some hope during the match,” Rickstrom said.

Cloquet defeated Hermantown 5-2 last Friday. In singles, Roy defeated Hermantown’s Jeremy Amys 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) and No. 2 singles player Dylan Burslie beat Kurt Peterson 6-3, 6-3. John Scheuer and Luke Heine were the third and fourth singles players.

The ‘Jacks also swept the doubles matches. The first team of Nathan Blascyk and Chase Pritchett whitewashed Eric Johnson and Tyler Michelizzi 6-0, 6-0.

The second team of Ryan Kedrowski and Niko Michaelson beat Jesse Dyson and Cody Neubarth 6-2, 6-2; and the third team of Sean Kedrowski and Tanner Webster defeated Vince Sorci and Pat Sirois 7-5, 6-3.

Tuesday’s scheduled match against Grand Rapids was postponed due to rain but will be made up next week. The regular season winds down with matches at Denfeld on Thursday and a home rematch against Hermantown on Friday.

The last scheduled match is May 15 at Superior, with tournament play scheduled to begin Monday, May 18.

Tags: sports, tennis