SIOUX FALLS – Aberdeen Roncalli senior Gannon May concluded his high school career by winning his final match to finish third place at top flight singles at the State A Tennis Tournament on Tuesday.
May lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Mitchell Hofer of Sioux Falls Christian, before rebounding to defeat Eli Plank of Lennox who he lost to earlier this season.
The Cavaliers finished sixth as a team with 156 points.
“We were a couple early wins away from making a fifth place finish at state,” said Roncalli coach Jason Haskell. “So proud of all of my kids as a whole.”
Haskell pointed out the performance of Linus Johnson, who began filling in late in the season at third flight singles and won multiple matches at state and lost in the fifth-place match.
“Linus Johnson was asked to jump from seven seed to three and held his own,” Haskell said. “The strength of the team as a whole was apparent in the fact that we had only one podium finish, but ended up sixth as a team.”
That lone podium finish belonged to May, who got into the final four by winning a match in a super-tiebreaker on Monday, and then grabbing third on Tuesday.
“Gannon was able to avenge an earlier loss on the season by beating Lennox’s Eli Plank for third place,” Haskell said. “It is sad to see our seniors go, especially Gannon and Ben (Goebel). That being said, there is a lot to look forward to with this team. Lots of youth and tons of growth potential.”
Milbank finished eighth in team points with 147.5 points. The Bulldogs were led by Will Muellenbach took fifth at third flight singles.
Milbank also received a fourth-place finish from the second flight doubles team of Gregory Grabow and Alex Baugh, and a nine-place finish from the third flight doubles tandem of Landon Appl and Devon Mueller.
Team Points: Sioux Falls Christian 600, Rapid City Christian 390.5, St. Thomas More 363, Huron 261, Pierre 244.5, Aberdeen Roncalli 156, Lennox 150, Milbank 147.5, Madison 123.5, Vermillion 118.5, Spearfish 90.
ABERDEEN RONCALLI
SINGLES
First Flight
GANNON MAY: lost to Mitchell Hofer, Sioux Falls Christian, 6-2, 6-1; def. Eli Plank, Lennox, 8-5. THIRD PLACE.
Second Flight
EZRA FEICKERT: lost to Say Poe, Huron, 8-4.
Third Flight
LINUS JOHNSON: def. Maguire Studer, Madison, 8-6; lost to Will Muellenbach, Milbank, 8-4.
Fourth Flight
BEN GOEBEL: lost to Maner Htoo, Huron, 8-3.
Fifth Flight
CALEB STOKS: def. Evan Foss, Spearfish, 8-6; lost to Ler Hai Moo, Huron, 8-3.
MILBANK
SINGLES
First Flight
CHARLES WHITESITT: lost to Matthew Thin, Huron, 8-4.
Second Flight
GREGORY GRABOW: def. Ethan Sims, Madison, 8-7 (8-6); lost to Say Poe, Huron, 8-4.
Third Flight
WILL MUELLENBACH: def. Ethan Palmer, Rapid City Christian, 8-6; def. Linus Johnson, Aberdeen Roncalli, 8-4. FIFTH PLACE.
Fourth Flight
ALEX BAUGH: def. Tristan Castetter, Madison, 8-6; lost to Maner Htoo, Huron, 8-3.
Sixth Flight
JAMES NELSON: lost to Cannon Hunsley, Madison, 8-3.
DOUBLES
Second Flight
GREGORY GRABOW-ALEX BAUGH: lost to Lueking-Southern, Pierre, 8-2. FOURTH PLACE.
Third Flight
LANDON APPL-DEVON MUELLER: def. Meyer-Meyer, Madison, 8-4. NINTH PLACE.
