Boys’ Tennis Wins District Tournament

The boys’ tennis team sent five singles players and five groups of doubles partners to compete in the annual SMSD Tournament this past Saturday, April 15.

The team won 35 of the 36 matches played against each of the SMSD high schools. On April 17, final results were posted and East earned first place with 35. Following East was SM South with 24, then SM Northwest with 22, SM West with 11 and SM North with 4.

The matches were held at each of the high schools starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. A total of 50 players from the high schools competed including the 15 players from East.

The five hour day started off with a sweep in singles matches played by freshmen Jack Slaughter and Jake Louiselle, sophomore Chase Mikkelson and juniors Billy Louiselle and Matt English. The event concluded with doubles matches where they won all but one match. Doubles teams consisted of freshman Cem Spicer and senior Matt Schuetz, sophomores Hayden Leatherwood and Jacob Tilton, sophomores Quin Napier and Tom Schotte, sophomores Henry Leopold and Jack Mikkelson, and senior Elijah O’Sullivan and junior Thomas Sweat.

“[The tournament team] is a combination of all the levels,” head coach Andrew Gibbs said. “We usually put our top two singles teams and top two doubles teams in it because it will affect our seeding at the Sunflower League Tournament and regionals in May.”

After winning all but one of their matches, the team is preparing for the Sunflower League tournament taking place the week of April 24 and the Midwest Regionals on May 5.