By Journal Sports Staff

ISHPEMING — A half-dozen members of the Ishpeming High School boys tennis team earned Upper Peninsula honors, including their coach who won a major award in All-U.P. voting that took place during the MHSAA U.P. Finals in Division 2 last Tuesday.

Hematites head coach Kaitlin Rich was named Coach of the Year in D-2, while Menominee No. 1 singles player Brock Murphy earned Player of the Year.

Rich coached Ishpeming to a one-point victory at the U.P. Finals held at nearby Westwood High School.

IHS earned 12 points while winning a finals-high three flight championships, all in doubles, during the finals.

Iron Mountain was runner-up with 11 points as all five participating schools won at least one flight title.

Murphy didn’t drop a game, let alone a set, in his two matches at the top singles flight that were both 6-0, 6-0 scores.

It was the champion Hematites who had the most players honored with five.

That included the tandem of Hayden Hares and Hunter Smith earning All-U.P. First Team in doubles.

Another Ishpeming duo, Logan Hurkmans and Ben Rubick, received All-U.P. honorable mention in doubles, while Mason Bancroft won the same All-U.P. honor in singles.

Munising had three honorees, all earning First Team status.

The Mustangs’ Danny Goss was an award winner in singles, while Carson Kienitz and Kane Nebel won the honor in doubles.

Here are the other All-U.P. honorees:

SINGLES — First Team: Reece Kangas, Iron Mountain; Brock Murphy, Menominee; Caleb Strom, West Iron County. Honorable mention: Mason Bancroft, IM

DOUBLES — First Team: Mathew Dutcher and Colton Holm, WIC; Kaden Bell and Nathan Schultz, Menominee; Joey Colavecchi and Bradon Farragh, IM

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.