Westwood Patriots, Negaunee Miners cruise to boys tennis victories
ISHPEMING — Westwood and Negaunee posted fairly routine team victories on the high school boys tennis courts on Tuesday, the Patriots upending Munising 7-1 while the Miners blanking West Iron County 8-0.
All three of these Marquette and Alger County teams are back in action today — Munising plays at Gladstone at 1 p.m., Westwood hosts Marquette at 3:30 p.m. and Negaunee entertains Iron Mountain at 4 p.m.
Then starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the Miners host their annual Negaunee Invitational that will also include Marquette, Westwood, Munising, Escanaba, Gladstone, Kingsford and WIC.
Here are details from Tuesday’s matches:
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Westwood 7, Munising 1
At Westwood, the Patriots were particularly dominant in singles, taking a set in each match 6-0. The toughest match, though, came at No. 1 singles where Andrew Niemi prevailed in a tight opening set before going on for a 7-5, 6-0 win over the Mustangs’ Carson Kienitz.
“Andrew’s been getting better at managing points and knowing when he needs to play more defensive vs. offensive,” Westwood head coach Sarah Massie said in an email detailing the result after her team improved to 5-1-4. “He was pushed in the first set before making some adjustments and settling in during the second set.
“I’m happy with how all 12 guys have been competing and improving this season. This time of the season is always packed with matches, but the guys have responded well each day and continue to get better.”
In the other three singles matches, the Pats lost a combined two games with victories posted by No. 2 Patrick Klumpp, No. 3 Mason Hietikko and No. 4 Jaxson Alderton.
Munising got its win at No. 1 doubles, where Frank Carlson and Danny Goss prevailed 6-4, 7-5 over WHS’ Reid Frustaglio and Cameron Mahaffey.
Westwood’s Jayce Patron and Mitchell Ford were also pushed at No. 2 by the Mustangs’ Dimetri Balko and Mike Robinson in the Pats’ 6-2, 7-5 triumph.
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Negaunee 8, West Iron County 0
At Iron River, the Miners, like their brethren at Westwood, really put the clamps down in singles as Negaunee (11-0) dropped a total of just four games in four flights.
That included a 6-0, 6-1 victory posted by No. 1 singles player Gavin Saunders over WIC’s Caleb Strom.
“Gavin seems to get better each time out, and he plays a real efficient style,” Miners head coach Kyle Saari said in his email detailing the result. “His strokes are clean and compact, and he drives the ball so it’s on his opponent in a hurry. That, with his athleticism, is a deadly combo.”
But doubles was a tougher nut to crack for Negaunee, especially at No. 2, where Carson Lajimodiere and Blake Holmgren needed three sets to gut out a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over the Wykons’ Jackson Strom and Eli Oberlin.
“We have to continue to show up each day, and Blake and ‘Spud’ (Carson) really defined that,” Saari said. “Blake hustled back from (Business Professionals of America) nationals for this meet in West Iron, stepped right on the court, and they pulled off an impressive three-setter.
“Dedication like that can spread throughout a team, and these guys have all shown those traits as we continue to grow.”
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.