STOUGHTON - The Cheesemakers were the champions of Saturday's Stoughton Invite, thanks to a tiebreaker. Monroe, which tied Sauk Prairie with 24 team points, had three individual champions to Sauk Prairie's two.
"What a day it was for Monroe tennis," coach Brad Saugstad said. "This tournament was randomly drawn, and we did not get an easy draw in any flight. It was a tough match after tough match all day long, and the boys really rose to the occasion."
Monroe's No. 1 doubles team of Carson Root and Garrett Tschanz remained undefeated on the season, going 3-0 to win their division.
"They also arguably played the other three best teams in the tournament," Saugstad said. "They did not play their best tennis during the first two matches. They were battling themselves and missing shots they typically don't."
The duo won it's first match 6-4, 6-2 and the second one 6-4, 6-4. In the championship, the pair pushed its unbeaten mark to 15-0 with a rousing 6-0, 6-0 sweep.
"In their championship match, they got back to what they usually do and dominated Burlington," Saugstad said.
Monroe's No. 2 doubles tandem of Cristian Noriega and Jess Hager played about as much tennis as anyone - nine sets - and still finished in first place. The two Cheesemakers beat Burlington 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 in the first round, then trampled Oregon 7-5, 1-6, 11-9. In the championship match, Noriega and Hager knocked off Sauk Prairie 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.
"Nothing was easy. Every match was three sets, and in their first two matches they had match points against them. But they pulled out huge shots and every important point on the day," Saugstad said. "They beat Burlington's No. 1 doubles team, then avenged an earlier loss to Oregon. The win over Sauk Prairie in the championship gave us three champions, and won us the tournament."
Quinten L'Yvonnet won the No. 2 singles bracket by beating Sauk Prairie's Sterling Walsh (6-1, 6-0), Oregon's David Johnson (6-3, 6-1) and Big Foot's Sebastian Lauterbach (6-2, 6-2).
"He made it look easy. He also got a little pay back on an Oregon player he had lost to earlier (in the season)," Saugstad said. "Quinten's level of play has just continued to improve. He's won eight of his last nine matches."
Taylor Soddy finished second in the No. 1 singles bracket, winning his first two rounds 6-3, 6-0 and 6-4, 6-3 before losing to Janesville Parker's Matt Knutson 0-6, 4-6.
"He had the toughest possible draw and improved his record to 12-3," Saugstad said.
Josh Riese and Kevin Kohlstedt lost the opening round of the No. 3 doubles division, but won the next two to take home the consolation championship.
"I like how they picked their heads back up after the loss and cam out and played solid tennis to contribute points to the team," Saugstad said.
Oregon finished third with 23 team points, Parker had 17, Stoughton 13, Burlington 10, Jefferson 8 and Big Foot came in last with seven.
"The biggest thing for us was beating Oregon. Oregon has beaten us twice this year (5-2, 6-1). Our players knew how important those matches were and they stepped up and played some great tennis," Saugstad said. "This is the second tournament in a row we finished ahead of a Badger Conference team hat had beaten us during the season (Waunakee the week before).
"This was important, too, because we have a big week of tennis coming up. With Edgewood on Monday, Fort Atkinson (Tuesday), Milton (Friday) and the Monroe Doubles event (Saturday), we needed all the momentum we could get coming into this big week."
"What a day it was for Monroe tennis," coach Brad Saugstad said. "This tournament was randomly drawn, and we did not get an easy draw in any flight. It was a tough match after tough match all day long, and the boys really rose to the occasion."
Monroe's No. 1 doubles team of Carson Root and Garrett Tschanz remained undefeated on the season, going 3-0 to win their division.
"They also arguably played the other three best teams in the tournament," Saugstad said. "They did not play their best tennis during the first two matches. They were battling themselves and missing shots they typically don't."
The duo won it's first match 6-4, 6-2 and the second one 6-4, 6-4. In the championship, the pair pushed its unbeaten mark to 15-0 with a rousing 6-0, 6-0 sweep.
"In their championship match, they got back to what they usually do and dominated Burlington," Saugstad said.
Monroe's No. 2 doubles tandem of Cristian Noriega and Jess Hager played about as much tennis as anyone - nine sets - and still finished in first place. The two Cheesemakers beat Burlington 4-6, 7-5, 11-9 in the first round, then trampled Oregon 7-5, 1-6, 11-9. In the championship match, Noriega and Hager knocked off Sauk Prairie 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.
"Nothing was easy. Every match was three sets, and in their first two matches they had match points against them. But they pulled out huge shots and every important point on the day," Saugstad said. "They beat Burlington's No. 1 doubles team, then avenged an earlier loss to Oregon. The win over Sauk Prairie in the championship gave us three champions, and won us the tournament."
Quinten L'Yvonnet won the No. 2 singles bracket by beating Sauk Prairie's Sterling Walsh (6-1, 6-0), Oregon's David Johnson (6-3, 6-1) and Big Foot's Sebastian Lauterbach (6-2, 6-2).
"He made it look easy. He also got a little pay back on an Oregon player he had lost to earlier (in the season)," Saugstad said. "Quinten's level of play has just continued to improve. He's won eight of his last nine matches."
Taylor Soddy finished second in the No. 1 singles bracket, winning his first two rounds 6-3, 6-0 and 6-4, 6-3 before losing to Janesville Parker's Matt Knutson 0-6, 4-6.
"He had the toughest possible draw and improved his record to 12-3," Saugstad said.
Josh Riese and Kevin Kohlstedt lost the opening round of the No. 3 doubles division, but won the next two to take home the consolation championship.
"I like how they picked their heads back up after the loss and cam out and played solid tennis to contribute points to the team," Saugstad said.
Oregon finished third with 23 team points, Parker had 17, Stoughton 13, Burlington 10, Jefferson 8 and Big Foot came in last with seven.
"The biggest thing for us was beating Oregon. Oregon has beaten us twice this year (5-2, 6-1). Our players knew how important those matches were and they stepped up and played some great tennis," Saugstad said. "This is the second tournament in a row we finished ahead of a Badger Conference team hat had beaten us during the season (Waunakee the week before).
"This was important, too, because we have a big week of tennis coming up. With Edgewood on Monday, Fort Atkinson (Tuesday), Milton (Friday) and the Monroe Doubles event (Saturday), we needed all the momentum we could get coming into this big week."
