MADISON - The Monroe boys tennis team didn't snap its nine-year drought since the last individual conference or doubles champion at the Badger Conference tennis tournament, but did turn in several thrilling performances.
Monroe freshman Taylor Soddy (15-3) finished second place after losing a hard fought championship match to Madison Edgewood sophomore Zach Munns 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (6) Friday at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
After losing a first set tiebreaker, he battled back to take the second set. Soddy had a 5-4 lead in the decisive third set and was serving the match point when the pain in his fingers and hand became too much to overcome.
"I couldn't feel my fingers most of the second and third sets," Soddy said after losing the three-hour title match. "It was tough just holding onto the racket. My legs gave out. I really couldn't serve at all."
Munns came back to win two consecutive games before Soddy dug in and forced a tiebreaker. Soddy lost the tiebreaker 8-6 when he hit a lob just out of play.
"It's frustrating," he said. "I really wanted to bring it (a championship) back to Monroe. We haven't had one in nine years. I should have played smarter and went for it all. I should have hit it in and got the point."
The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team of senior Patrick Gellings and junior Garrett Tschanz avenged an earlier season loss to Monona Grove's Mario Testolin and Mike Wanta by defeating them in the semifinals 6-3, 6-1. Gellings and Tschanz (17-5) finished second after losing to Edgewood's Austin Papenthien and Danny Meicher 6-3, 6-4.
Monroe finished fourth at the conference tournament (22 points) and third in the Badger South Conference standings. Edgewood, who has seven straight state tournament appearances as a team, repeated as the conference tournament champions and clinched the Badger South title. The Crusaders outdistanced Waunakee 50-36 for the tournament title.
Gellings and Tschanz trailed Papenthien and Meicher 5-2 in the second set before rebounding to win the next two games.
"I think our main goal was to get to the championship," Tschanz said. "I got down on myself a little, got back up and we gave them a run."
Monroe coach Brad Saugstad is confident that Soddy and the No. 1 doubles team can take a lot out of their title matches.
"They both played two action-packed matches," Saugstad said. "Those matches will help get them ready for the subsectional and sectional."
It wasn't clear sailing to the title match for Gellings and Tschanz. The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles tandem had to defeat Sauk Prairie and then beat the Silver Eagles' Testolin and Wanta.
"It definitely was a tough road," Gellings said. "Sauk Prairie could have been a higher seed. My goal for today was to beat Mario. The first loss we had to them was frustrating."
The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team found its rhythm in the semifinals with Tschanz's power serving that yielded several aces and Gellings strong play putting balls away at the net.
"This had to be one of their best matches of the year," Saugstad said. "Garrett and Pat were just in control the entire match. That's the type of match I wanted them to play before the championship match."
The Cheesemakers' No. 2 doubles team of senior Jakob Baertschi and sophomore Cristian Noriega took fourth. Baertschi and Noriega lost a semifinal match to the Crusaders 6-3, 6-1. In the third-place match, Baertschi and Noriega lost to Sauk Prairie's Kevin Kirk and Mitch Fiene 6-4, 6-3.
Monroe will be back at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison at 2 p.m. Monday for the Edgewood subsectional. The top four No. 1 singles players and doubles teams at the subsectional advance to the Whitewater sectional. The top two No. 2, 3 and 4 singles players as well as the top two No. 2 and 3 doubles teams at the subsectional also will qualify for the sectional.
"Most of them are peaking right now and are playing great tennis," Saugstad said. "I think we have a good chance of getting a lot of people through the subsectional to the sectional."
Monroe freshman Taylor Soddy (15-3) finished second place after losing a hard fought championship match to Madison Edgewood sophomore Zach Munns 7-6 (3), 4-6, 7-6 (6) Friday at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
After losing a first set tiebreaker, he battled back to take the second set. Soddy had a 5-4 lead in the decisive third set and was serving the match point when the pain in his fingers and hand became too much to overcome.
"I couldn't feel my fingers most of the second and third sets," Soddy said after losing the three-hour title match. "It was tough just holding onto the racket. My legs gave out. I really couldn't serve at all."
Munns came back to win two consecutive games before Soddy dug in and forced a tiebreaker. Soddy lost the tiebreaker 8-6 when he hit a lob just out of play.
"It's frustrating," he said. "I really wanted to bring it (a championship) back to Monroe. We haven't had one in nine years. I should have played smarter and went for it all. I should have hit it in and got the point."
The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team of senior Patrick Gellings and junior Garrett Tschanz avenged an earlier season loss to Monona Grove's Mario Testolin and Mike Wanta by defeating them in the semifinals 6-3, 6-1. Gellings and Tschanz (17-5) finished second after losing to Edgewood's Austin Papenthien and Danny Meicher 6-3, 6-4.
Monroe finished fourth at the conference tournament (22 points) and third in the Badger South Conference standings. Edgewood, who has seven straight state tournament appearances as a team, repeated as the conference tournament champions and clinched the Badger South title. The Crusaders outdistanced Waunakee 50-36 for the tournament title.
Gellings and Tschanz trailed Papenthien and Meicher 5-2 in the second set before rebounding to win the next two games.
"I think our main goal was to get to the championship," Tschanz said. "I got down on myself a little, got back up and we gave them a run."
Monroe coach Brad Saugstad is confident that Soddy and the No. 1 doubles team can take a lot out of their title matches.
"They both played two action-packed matches," Saugstad said. "Those matches will help get them ready for the subsectional and sectional."
It wasn't clear sailing to the title match for Gellings and Tschanz. The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles tandem had to defeat Sauk Prairie and then beat the Silver Eagles' Testolin and Wanta.
"It definitely was a tough road," Gellings said. "Sauk Prairie could have been a higher seed. My goal for today was to beat Mario. The first loss we had to them was frustrating."
The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team found its rhythm in the semifinals with Tschanz's power serving that yielded several aces and Gellings strong play putting balls away at the net.
"This had to be one of their best matches of the year," Saugstad said. "Garrett and Pat were just in control the entire match. That's the type of match I wanted them to play before the championship match."
The Cheesemakers' No. 2 doubles team of senior Jakob Baertschi and sophomore Cristian Noriega took fourth. Baertschi and Noriega lost a semifinal match to the Crusaders 6-3, 6-1. In the third-place match, Baertschi and Noriega lost to Sauk Prairie's Kevin Kirk and Mitch Fiene 6-4, 6-3.
Monroe will be back at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison at 2 p.m. Monday for the Edgewood subsectional. The top four No. 1 singles players and doubles teams at the subsectional advance to the Whitewater sectional. The top two No. 2, 3 and 4 singles players as well as the top two No. 2 and 3 doubles teams at the subsectional also will qualify for the sectional.
"Most of them are peaking right now and are playing great tennis," Saugstad said. "I think we have a good chance of getting a lot of people through the subsectional to the sectional."
