It capped off quite a rollercoaster of a season for these Hematites, who hadn’t won a U.P. title in the sport since 1994 when they competed in the Class C-D division. They hadn’t even been a U.P. runner-up since finishing second in Division 2 in 2004, just a couple years after the U.P. was split into numeric divisions for tennis.

On Tuesday, Ishpeming captured three championships, all in doubles, to score 12 points to 11 for runner-up Iron Mountain, which only won one title but scored points in all but one flight.

Munising and West Iron County tied for third with nine points, while Menominee was a relatively close fifth with seven.

Each of the five schools present won at least one title, with the only other team to win multiple championships besides the Hematites was Munising with two.

Ishpeming’s Griffin Argall, left, prepares to make a return with doubles partner Ethan Corp watching in a No. 4 doubles match at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 2 boys tennis at Westwood High School on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Alexandria Bournonville)

But it proved to be Ishpeming’s day, though that came about almost completely through doubles.

“I feel amazing,” Ishpeming head coach Kaitlin Rich said. “I was watching the last match and the kids came over with their arms pumped in the air and … I’m just really proud of them.

“This is something that really hasn’t happened in Ishpeming for the tennis program and it just shows how dedicated these kids are to excellence.

“I have so many kids that are dual sporting. They play baseball and AAU (basketball) and to edge out Iron Mountain by one point? I’m just really proud of them.”

Rich had a relatively inexperienced team and thought it might’ve been too soon for them to contend for the title.

No. 1 doubles player Carson Kienitz of Munising returns a volley during a match against Ishpeming at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 2 boys tennis at Westwood High School on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Alexandria Bournonville)

“I have three seniors … one senior had never played before and I’m really happy because our other two seniors are U.P. champions,” the coach said. “I’m really glad their last meet of the year they took the gold and I’m really proud of them.

“We’ll have a very (well) stocked team next year as well…. Hopefully we can work a little bit in the summer and come back for another one next year.”

The Hematites scored 11 of their 12 points in doubles, winning three championships and finishing as runners-up in the other.

Ishpeming won titles at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 doubles.

At No. 2, the Hematites’ Logan Hurkmans and Ben Rubick scored a 6-1, 6-3 win in the championship match over Tanner Theurerkauf and Landon Daigneau of Menominee.

Menominee’s Danny Birch runs to make a return during a No. 2 singles match at the MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 2 boys tennis at Westwood High School on Tuesday. (Journal photo by Alexandria Bournonville)

This Ishpeming pair had to fight just to reach the finals as they battled to win in the semifinals 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 over IM’s Jack Smith and Tyler Winch.

No. 3 proved to be one of the most competitive finals matches of the day, even though it only went two sets. Ishpeming’s Caden Luoma and Ryan Maki hung on for a 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) win over Munising’s duo of Mike Robinson II and Logan Walsh.

And No. 4 appeared to be more typical only by that standard set at No. 3 as the Hematites’ Griffin Argall and Ethan Corp won 6-1, 6-4 in the finals over WIC’s Dominick Brunswick and Jackson Secord.

The only doubles flight not won by Ishpeming still proved important to its team title as the Hematites’ Hayden Hares and Hunter Smith picked up two points for reaching the finals as they lost in another barnburner to Munising’s Carson Kienitz and Kane Nebel, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 6-3.

“Hayden Hares had a little accident (last) weekend,”

Hares and Smith also had a tough battle in their semifinal, downing Menominee’s Kaden Bell and Nathan Schultz 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-5).

And also just as important to the Hematites’ success was No. 4 singles player Tramon Gauthier winning his first-round match over Menominee’s Blake Paatsch, 6-0, 6-0.

It gave Ishpeming its one final point to push it over the top.

“We knew the numbers coming in (to the U.P. Finals) were going to be really tight between us, Iron Mountain, Munising, West Iron,” Rich said. “I told my singles players we need one point somewhere, we need one point and Tramon Gauthier stepped it up and he won his first-round match.

“That sealed it for us and I couldn’t be prouder of him specifically, too.”

Gauthier advanced to face eventual No. 4 singles champion Zander Birmingham of WIC in the semifinals, where Birmingham prevailed 6-3, 6-2 before going on to defeat IM’s Colin Schneider in the finals, 6-4, 6-4.

That was the Wykons’ lone championship of the day.

Iron Mountain picked up its only victory at No. 2 singles, where Kaden Sheldon pulled off a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback against Menominee’s Danny Birch in the finals.

“It just wasn’t enough team-wise for us to come away (with the team title), but I’m really happy for Kaden, he was our one first-place finish for the whole day,” Mountaineers coach Marcus Celello said. “Overall, we finished second and I’m really proud of the guys for that.

“We only won one dual match during the (regular) season, but we had a lot of tough opponents and we split with Ishpeming. We knew that we were going to be right there with them at the end of the day and it came right down literally to the final match.

“We’ve come a long way. Our singles have been pretty strong all season, but our doubles teams really were a work in progress and today they showed up and obviously we finished … a little short, but all the guys improved so much from the beginning of the season.

“We lost to a really good Ishpeming team and I’m really happy for them.”

IM added a pair of runner-up finishes, and just as importantly, got through the first round at four other flights to ring up its 11 points.

Munising’s two titlists came at No. 1 doubles, with Kienitz and Nebel winning, and at No. 3 singles, where Ashton Wymer could make a case for the best championship match of the day when he defeated WIC’s Drew Alexa 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3.

“I’m happy with how our guys competed and I think the program’s in good standing going forward,” said Mustangs head coach Noah Ackerman, himself a Munising tennis star not quite a decade ago. “That was my goal, taking over, was hopefully we can get (our) foot in the door, get back into competing for U.P.’s.”

Kienitz and Nebel didn’t have it easy in the semifinals, where they won 7-5, 6-1 over WIC’s Mathew Dutcher and Colton Holm.

WIC’s one champion was Birmingham as the Wykons had a pair of runner-up finishes and Munising had one — Robinson and Walsh at No. 3 doubles.

For Menominee, No. 1 singles player Brock Murphy picked up the Maroons’ lone title with a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash of IM’s Reece Kangas. In fact, Murphy never lost a game all day, as after receiving a bye in the first round, he also posted a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Munising’s Danny Goss in the semifinals.

Menominee also had a pair of runner-up finishes.

Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.