BEAVER DAM - Monroe senior Mark Jenson and junior Kevin Noriega at No. 1 doubles finished fourth place at the Beaver Dam Invitational Saturday.
The Cheesemakers finished sixth place out of eight teams with 10 points. Waunakee outdistanced Plymouth 33-25 for the team title.
"With a singles lineup missing two of our regulars (David Shon and Silas Setterstrom) and having to default four matches because of prom, I was encouraged by our sixth-place finish," Monroe coach Brad Saugstad said. "Our goal was for each player and doubles team to win one match and we accomplished that goal."
Jenson and Noriega defeated Madison La Follette's Joe Hayes and Conner Hundt 7-6 (3), 6-3 and then lost to Waunakee's Jack McCarthy and Conner Austria-Kemble 6-0, 6-4. The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles duo had to default in a third-place match because they had to leave early for prom.
"Mark Jenson and Kevin Noriega had to dig deep to beat Madison La Follette in their first match," Saugstad said. "Against Waunakee, the guys came out a little flat like they felt like they couldn't compete against Waunakee. In the second set, Mark and Kevin went toe-to-toe with Waunakee and had them on the ropes. At the end of the set they both had their serves broken and we came up a little short. Mark and Kevin are struggling with consistency right now. They are going through too many lulls in matches where they aren't playing the way they are capable of playing."
At No. 3 doubles, Monroe's Rhett Katzenberger and Cole Oudinot also took fourth place. Katzenberger defeated Beaver Dam's Johnson Hoang and B.J. Ladwig 7-5, 7-5 and then lost to Onalaska's Breton Anderson and Adam Strack 6-0, 6-1. Katzenberger and Oudinot didn't get a chance to play for third place because they defaulted due to prom.
The Cheesemakers' No. 2 doubles team of Ellyott Baertschi and Kody Althaus finished fifth. Waunakee's Brady Pagnucci and Luke Dias defeated Baertschi and Althaus 6-1, 6-1 in the first match. They bounced back to beat Milwaukee Lutheran's Tyler Vonderberg and Danny Pankow 6-1, 6-0. In a fifth-place match, Baertschi and Althaus knocked off Madison La Follette's Kevin Dunn and Evan Loken in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 10-4.
"These two have improved with each match this year, but had nothing to show for it in the win column," Saugstad said. "The highlight for these two was their three-set win over Madison La Follette for fifth place. It was very important for Ellyott and Kody's confidence to get some wins."
Four of the Cheesemakers' singles players each finished in sixth place, including Matt Monahan at No. 1 singles, Jeremy Miller at No. 2 singles, Zach Hendrickson at No. 3 singles and Keyton Friske at No. 4 singles.
Waunakee's Joey Schneider defeated Monahan 6-0, 6-0. Monahan bounced back and defeated Beaver Dam's Chris Te Ronde and then had to default because of prom. Hendrickson made the switch from No. 3 doubles to No. 3 singles for the tournament.
"Zach had some stretches today where he was hitting really crisp forehands and moving his opponent around really well, especially considering he has had very little time with singles in practice," Saugstad said.
Madison La Follette's Grady Hilgendorf defeated Miller at No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-1. Miller rebounded to beat Milwaukee Lutheran's John Little 6-1, 6-2 and then defaulted because of prom. At No. 3 singles, Onalaska's Josh McCauley defeated Hendrickson 6-0, 6-1. Hendrickson then defeated Beaver Dam's Ron Drews in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 10-8. In a fifth-place match, Madison La Follette's Brendan Hickey beat Hendrickson in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Plymouth's Matt Matz defeated Friske 6-3, 6-4 in the first match of the tournament. Friske then breezed by Milwaukee Lutheran's Tevin Sharp 6-1, 6-0. In a fifth-place match, Madison La Follette's Jack Temple beat Friske 6-1, 6-4.
Monroe will have two straight conference matches this week. The Cheesemakers are at Stoughton Monday and at Oregon on Tuesday.
"Hopefully, the wins we earned will give us a little confidence going into these two matches," he said.
The Cheesemakers finished sixth place out of eight teams with 10 points. Waunakee outdistanced Plymouth 33-25 for the team title.
"With a singles lineup missing two of our regulars (David Shon and Silas Setterstrom) and having to default four matches because of prom, I was encouraged by our sixth-place finish," Monroe coach Brad Saugstad said. "Our goal was for each player and doubles team to win one match and we accomplished that goal."
Jenson and Noriega defeated Madison La Follette's Joe Hayes and Conner Hundt 7-6 (3), 6-3 and then lost to Waunakee's Jack McCarthy and Conner Austria-Kemble 6-0, 6-4. The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles duo had to default in a third-place match because they had to leave early for prom.
"Mark Jenson and Kevin Noriega had to dig deep to beat Madison La Follette in their first match," Saugstad said. "Against Waunakee, the guys came out a little flat like they felt like they couldn't compete against Waunakee. In the second set, Mark and Kevin went toe-to-toe with Waunakee and had them on the ropes. At the end of the set they both had their serves broken and we came up a little short. Mark and Kevin are struggling with consistency right now. They are going through too many lulls in matches where they aren't playing the way they are capable of playing."
At No. 3 doubles, Monroe's Rhett Katzenberger and Cole Oudinot also took fourth place. Katzenberger defeated Beaver Dam's Johnson Hoang and B.J. Ladwig 7-5, 7-5 and then lost to Onalaska's Breton Anderson and Adam Strack 6-0, 6-1. Katzenberger and Oudinot didn't get a chance to play for third place because they defaulted due to prom.
The Cheesemakers' No. 2 doubles team of Ellyott Baertschi and Kody Althaus finished fifth. Waunakee's Brady Pagnucci and Luke Dias defeated Baertschi and Althaus 6-1, 6-1 in the first match. They bounced back to beat Milwaukee Lutheran's Tyler Vonderberg and Danny Pankow 6-1, 6-0. In a fifth-place match, Baertschi and Althaus knocked off Madison La Follette's Kevin Dunn and Evan Loken in three sets 6-3, 4-6, 10-4.
"These two have improved with each match this year, but had nothing to show for it in the win column," Saugstad said. "The highlight for these two was their three-set win over Madison La Follette for fifth place. It was very important for Ellyott and Kody's confidence to get some wins."
Four of the Cheesemakers' singles players each finished in sixth place, including Matt Monahan at No. 1 singles, Jeremy Miller at No. 2 singles, Zach Hendrickson at No. 3 singles and Keyton Friske at No. 4 singles.
Waunakee's Joey Schneider defeated Monahan 6-0, 6-0. Monahan bounced back and defeated Beaver Dam's Chris Te Ronde and then had to default because of prom. Hendrickson made the switch from No. 3 doubles to No. 3 singles for the tournament.
"Zach had some stretches today where he was hitting really crisp forehands and moving his opponent around really well, especially considering he has had very little time with singles in practice," Saugstad said.
Madison La Follette's Grady Hilgendorf defeated Miller at No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-1. Miller rebounded to beat Milwaukee Lutheran's John Little 6-1, 6-2 and then defaulted because of prom. At No. 3 singles, Onalaska's Josh McCauley defeated Hendrickson 6-0, 6-1. Hendrickson then defeated Beaver Dam's Ron Drews in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 10-8. In a fifth-place match, Madison La Follette's Brendan Hickey beat Hendrickson in three sets 2-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Plymouth's Matt Matz defeated Friske 6-3, 6-4 in the first match of the tournament. Friske then breezed by Milwaukee Lutheran's Tevin Sharp 6-1, 6-0. In a fifth-place match, Madison La Follette's Jack Temple beat Friske 6-1, 6-4.
Monroe will have two straight conference matches this week. The Cheesemakers are at Stoughton Monday and at Oregon on Tuesday.
"Hopefully, the wins we earned will give us a little confidence going into these two matches," he said.
