WHITEWATER - Monroe senior Lauri Juonela and the Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team of Jim Kundert and Artem Beer won their first matches at the WIAA Division 2 Whitewater sectional Thursday to qualify for the state tournament.
Monroe finished as the sectional runner-up to Madison Edgewood, as the Crusaders defeated the Cheesemakers, 50-27.
"I'm really tickled for them to qualify for state," Monroe coach Jim Bartholf said of his No. 1 doubles team. "It's really exciting. It was like a two-hour match. It was nip and tuck all the way."
Juonela won his first match over Luther Prep's Scott Henrich, 6-1, 6-0, to automatically qualify for state. He finished fourth at the sectional after losing a semifinal match to Edgewood's Jack Cullen, 6-4, 7-5, then dropping a third-place match to Delavan's JJ Collins, 6-2, 6-0.
"Lauri played really well," Bartholf said. "He played him (Cullen) really tough. He had nothing riding on his third-place match."
Kundert and Beer didn't have it quite as easy in their first match, as the Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team pulled out a three-set win over St. John's Military Academy's Jacob Batarse and Jerrod Bush, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4.
Junoela ,Kundert and Beer then lost a semifinal match to McFarland's Matt Rush and Nick Bakunowicz, 6-4, 6-4. Kundert and Beer then lost a third-place match in three sets to Edgerton's Ben Fuder and Chad Prater, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
"When you get to that third-place match, they didn't have much left," Bartholf said.
At No. 3 doubles, Mark Hoesly and Dan Becker opened up the sectional by defeating Luther Prep's Brandon Hauch and David Marquardt, 6-2, 6-2. Hoesly and Becker finished in second place after losing a title match to Edgewood's Zach Munns and Tim O'Brien, 6-2, 6-3.
Monroe junior Eric Knudtson lost his first No. 4 singles match to Luther Prep's Phillip Koelpen, 7-5, 7-5. Knudtson then rebounded to win a third-place match over JP Voight of St. Mary's, 6-4, 6-2.
Monroe senior Matt Le at No. 3 singles lost his first match in three sets to University Lake's Quinn Dolan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Le finished fourth after dropping a third-place match to St. Mary's Jon Bellio, 6-1, 7-5.
Juonela, Kundert and Beer begin their WIAA Division 2 state matches Thursday at the University of Wisconsin Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Bartholf likes Juonela's odds of getting a first-round opponent he can defeat.
"In his first match when he feels there is something to play for, he is pretty good," Bartholf said.
Monroe finished as the sectional runner-up to Madison Edgewood, as the Crusaders defeated the Cheesemakers, 50-27.
"I'm really tickled for them to qualify for state," Monroe coach Jim Bartholf said of his No. 1 doubles team. "It's really exciting. It was like a two-hour match. It was nip and tuck all the way."
Juonela won his first match over Luther Prep's Scott Henrich, 6-1, 6-0, to automatically qualify for state. He finished fourth at the sectional after losing a semifinal match to Edgewood's Jack Cullen, 6-4, 7-5, then dropping a third-place match to Delavan's JJ Collins, 6-2, 6-0.
"Lauri played really well," Bartholf said. "He played him (Cullen) really tough. He had nothing riding on his third-place match."
Kundert and Beer didn't have it quite as easy in their first match, as the Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team pulled out a three-set win over St. John's Military Academy's Jacob Batarse and Jerrod Bush, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4.
Junoela ,Kundert and Beer then lost a semifinal match to McFarland's Matt Rush and Nick Bakunowicz, 6-4, 6-4. Kundert and Beer then lost a third-place match in three sets to Edgerton's Ben Fuder and Chad Prater, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
"When you get to that third-place match, they didn't have much left," Bartholf said.
At No. 3 doubles, Mark Hoesly and Dan Becker opened up the sectional by defeating Luther Prep's Brandon Hauch and David Marquardt, 6-2, 6-2. Hoesly and Becker finished in second place after losing a title match to Edgewood's Zach Munns and Tim O'Brien, 6-2, 6-3.
Monroe junior Eric Knudtson lost his first No. 4 singles match to Luther Prep's Phillip Koelpen, 7-5, 7-5. Knudtson then rebounded to win a third-place match over JP Voight of St. Mary's, 6-4, 6-2.
Monroe senior Matt Le at No. 3 singles lost his first match in three sets to University Lake's Quinn Dolan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Le finished fourth after dropping a third-place match to St. Mary's Jon Bellio, 6-1, 7-5.
Juonela, Kundert and Beer begin their WIAA Division 2 state matches Thursday at the University of Wisconsin Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Bartholf likes Juonela's odds of getting a first-round opponent he can defeat.
"In his first match when he feels there is something to play for, he is pretty good," Bartholf said.
