BEAVER DAM - Monroe senior Taylor Soddy at No. 1 singles finished second place at the Beaver Dam Invitational Saturday, April 27.
Soddy defeated New Berlin Eisenhower's Romith Challa 6-0 6-0. In the semifinals, Soddy defeated Madison La Follette's Adam Martin 6-2, 6-2. Waunakee's Calvin Clack, the Badger Conference champion at No. 1 singles last year, defeated Soddy in the championship 6-4, 6-0. Clack jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
"Taylor fought back and made it close in the first set, but just ran out of steam in the second set," Monroe coach Brad Saugstad said.
Waunakee won the tournament and Monroe finished fifth.
"We go to these tournaments to play good competition and gain experience playing against different types of players," Saugstad said. "For the most part I was happy with how we played. With our normal doubles lineup we would have finished a little higher in the tournament, but I was happy that we could get a few of our top JVs in the lineup for some varsity action."
Monroe sophomore Jeremy Miller at No. 4 singles took third place. Miller in his first match defeated Beaver Dam's Chris Gassen 6-4, 6-2. In the semifinals, Waunakee's Sam Skaaland knocked him off 6-2, 7-5. Miller defeated Onalaska's Matt Hablewitz 6-4, 6-3 in the third place match.
"Jeremy had a really nice day," Saugstad said. "Skaaland is going to be one of the top four singles players in the conference, and Jeremy hung right with him in the second set. With how Jeremy played today should give him some confidence as we head into the busy part of our conference season."
Monroe senior Kevin Kohlstedt and junior Mark Jenson at No. 1 doubles finished fourth. At No. 3 doubles, Monroe's Ellyott Baertschi and Logan Phillipps took fourth. Monroe sophomore Kevin Noriega at No. 2 singles finished sixth.
Kohlstedt and Jenson in their first match defeated Madison La Follette's Grady Hilgendorf and Harry Allen 6-2, 6-3. In the semifinals, Kohlstedt and Jenson lost to Beaver Dam's Jason Beal and Ben Butterbrodt 6-2, 6-2. The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team lost to Waunakee's Jason Ripp and Jack McCarthy in a third place match 6-1, 6-2.
Baertschi and Phillipps at No. 3 doubles knocked off Plymouth's Preston Beyer and Tyler Equitz 6-2, 5-7, 11-9. Onalaksa's Sean Wrileson and Tyler Livingston in the semifinals defeated Baertschi and Phillipps 6-0, 6-2. In a third place match, New Berlin Eisenhower's Alex Chartier and Luke Bickelhaust beat Baertschi and Phillipps 6-1, 7-5.
Beaver Dam's David Sunquist defeated Noriega in a No. 2 singles match in the first round 6-4, 6-0. Noriega bounced back to beat New Berlin Eisenhower's Greg Lawton 6-3, 6-2. Plymouth's Nick Eggert defeated Noriega in a consolation final 6-2, 6-3.
"I like that we've been able to get Ellyott Baertschi, Austin Lewey, and Logan Phillipps some varsity matches because they'll be ready if we need them to step in during some of our important conference matches coming up in the next couple weeks," Saugstad said.
Soddy defeated New Berlin Eisenhower's Romith Challa 6-0 6-0. In the semifinals, Soddy defeated Madison La Follette's Adam Martin 6-2, 6-2. Waunakee's Calvin Clack, the Badger Conference champion at No. 1 singles last year, defeated Soddy in the championship 6-4, 6-0. Clack jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
"Taylor fought back and made it close in the first set, but just ran out of steam in the second set," Monroe coach Brad Saugstad said.
Waunakee won the tournament and Monroe finished fifth.
"We go to these tournaments to play good competition and gain experience playing against different types of players," Saugstad said. "For the most part I was happy with how we played. With our normal doubles lineup we would have finished a little higher in the tournament, but I was happy that we could get a few of our top JVs in the lineup for some varsity action."
Monroe sophomore Jeremy Miller at No. 4 singles took third place. Miller in his first match defeated Beaver Dam's Chris Gassen 6-4, 6-2. In the semifinals, Waunakee's Sam Skaaland knocked him off 6-2, 7-5. Miller defeated Onalaska's Matt Hablewitz 6-4, 6-3 in the third place match.
"Jeremy had a really nice day," Saugstad said. "Skaaland is going to be one of the top four singles players in the conference, and Jeremy hung right with him in the second set. With how Jeremy played today should give him some confidence as we head into the busy part of our conference season."
Monroe senior Kevin Kohlstedt and junior Mark Jenson at No. 1 doubles finished fourth. At No. 3 doubles, Monroe's Ellyott Baertschi and Logan Phillipps took fourth. Monroe sophomore Kevin Noriega at No. 2 singles finished sixth.
Kohlstedt and Jenson in their first match defeated Madison La Follette's Grady Hilgendorf and Harry Allen 6-2, 6-3. In the semifinals, Kohlstedt and Jenson lost to Beaver Dam's Jason Beal and Ben Butterbrodt 6-2, 6-2. The Cheesemakers' No. 1 doubles team lost to Waunakee's Jason Ripp and Jack McCarthy in a third place match 6-1, 6-2.
Baertschi and Phillipps at No. 3 doubles knocked off Plymouth's Preston Beyer and Tyler Equitz 6-2, 5-7, 11-9. Onalaksa's Sean Wrileson and Tyler Livingston in the semifinals defeated Baertschi and Phillipps 6-0, 6-2. In a third place match, New Berlin Eisenhower's Alex Chartier and Luke Bickelhaust beat Baertschi and Phillipps 6-1, 7-5.
Beaver Dam's David Sunquist defeated Noriega in a No. 2 singles match in the first round 6-4, 6-0. Noriega bounced back to beat New Berlin Eisenhower's Greg Lawton 6-3, 6-2. Plymouth's Nick Eggert defeated Noriega in a consolation final 6-2, 6-3.
"I like that we've been able to get Ellyott Baertschi, Austin Lewey, and Logan Phillipps some varsity matches because they'll be ready if we need them to step in during some of our important conference matches coming up in the next couple weeks," Saugstad said.
