NEGAUNEE — The Negaunee boys tennis team ended its regular season with a bang while avenging its only loss of the season with a 5-3 victory over visiting Marquette on Thursday.

“This match … was special for our seniors and meant a lot to them to finish the right way,” Miners head coach Kyle Saari said in an email detailing the result. “From the start … it seemed focus was elevated and it was a dual meet we’ve talked about for awhile, since it’s so close to the U.P. (Finals).

“It was good to see us answer the call.”

The MHSAA Upper Peninsula Finals in Division 1 will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Escanaba and includes Negaunee, fellow Mid-Peninsula Conference member Westwood, and the four Great Northern Conference members this season — the Sentinels, host Eskymos, Gladstone and Kingsford.

On Thursday, the 10-1 Miners answered back from their only dual-meet loss of this season and possibly going back several years, a 6-2 setback at Marquette on May 7.

“So many efforts could be mentioned (Thursday), but the (No.) 3’s in singles and doubles are crucial to us,” Saari said.

With Negaunee winning three of the four singles flights and splitting at doubles, those wins included the Miners’ No. 3 singles player Kolten Store winning 6-0, 6-3 over Marquette’s Brady Janofski and the No. 3 doubles tandem of Eli Cody and Hank Tincknell winning the only three-set match of the meet, a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3) victory over the Sentinels’ Winston Leonard and Connor Dunn.

“Kolten flipped a result for us and he’s in a great spot entering next week,” Saari said. “He’s really provided a boost to our singles lineup, and we’re thankful to have eventually found stability there.

“Eli and Hank did what we expect of two senior athletes in their third set. They finished and never flinched in a tight situation.”

He was also quite pleased with the match played by his No. 4 singles player Max Larson, who provided a 6-4, 6-3 win over MSHS’ Elan Chu.

“I can’t say enough good things about what Max Larson has done, too,” Saari said. “He was controlled and outmatched the first time vs. Marquette, but his result (Thursday) is a testament to the work he’s put in.

“He knows he’s still capable of far more and will continue working.”

Box score

Negaunee 5, Marquette 3

Thursday at Negaunee

SINGLES — No. 1, Chase Thomsen (M) def. Brady Johnson 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; No. 2, Ethan Harris (N) def. Caden Laurn 6-1, 6-4; No. 3, Kolten Store (N) def. Brady Janofski 6-0, 6-3; No. 4, Max Larson (N) def. Elan Chu 6-4, 6-3

DOUBLES — No. 1, Nolan O’Dovero-Easton Guenette (N) def. Abe Kentala-Connor Stade 6-4, 6-0; No. 2, Lucas Belkowski-Conner Henry (M) def. Quinn Walters-Carson Lajimodiere 6-0, 6-2; No. 3, Hank Tincknell-Eli Cody (N) def. Connor Dunn-Winston Leonard 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3); No. 4, Bode Helman-Kane Bush (M) def. Marshall Knapp-Jhon Jarvi 6-3, 6-2

Story contents based on email received from Negaunee High School head coach Kyle Saari. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.