While this year’s C.C. Lee Open Junior Tennis Tournament featured a variety of high school level talent, some of those players have yet to reach the high school ranks in terms of age.

This year’s tourney, which concluded Tuesday at the Northern State Courts, had many individuals who competed in older divisions than necessary to try and find the most competition they could.

Numerous individuals already have experience on high school varsity teams despite not being in high school yet.

A prime example was the Girls 18 and Under singles division where a pair of 13-year-olds squared off for the championship.

Nearly each division featured a player with varsity experience, even in the 14 and Under divisions.

Payton Lamp of Milbank won the Girls 14 and Under singles title, earning a finals berth following a tough matchup against Aberdeen’s Penelope Vogel.

Lamp lost the first set and was in a tight battle in the second when Vogel suffered an injury and was forced to retire.

“I feel bad and its kind of crazy, I guess, too,” Lamp said of that match.

The 14-year-old, who played fifth flight singles for Milbank last season, took advantage of her opportunity and defeated her high school teammate Charlotte Swanson in straight sets in the championship match.

“I kind of know her, so I know how she plays,” Lamp said. “We’re actually doubles partners in Milbank.”

Lamp entered the C.C. Lee not quite sure of what the competition would be like.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Lamp said.

What she discovered was that the tourney featured solid opponents.

“It was pretty good people,” Lamp said. “I just played really well, too, and pulled it off.”

ADDING ANOTHER LEE CHAMPIONSHIP TO THE COLLECTION

The Nielsen family has won its share of C.C. Lee titles through the years, and added another one on Tuesday.

Rhys Nielsen carried on the family tradition of success in the tourney, claiming the Boys 14 and Under singles championship.

“It feels great to continue the tournament that my dad (Drew) and my uncle (Chris) played, to continue the family legacy,” Nielsen said.

The 13-year-old played number seven singles and flight four doubles for powerhouse Sioux Falls Lincoln last year as a seventh-grader.

He lost two of the first three games to Aberdeen’s Caleb Stoks before the match turned.

The two boys played a point that lasted about 40 strokes. Nielsen won that point and controlled the match from then on.

“It turned me on mentally and physically, so now I could do it,” Nielsen said. “After that point, I grinded. I played my best out there.”

Nielsen repeatedly hit perfect lob shots just out of the reach of Stoks throughout the match.

“I play with my dad a lot and he comes to the net a lot, so I get a lot of practice in lobs,” Nielsen said. “I played a lot of doubles this season for Lincoln and I got good practice in with that and passing shots.”

THIRD TITLE IN THIRD DIVISION

Jared Christen was back in the winner’s circle at the C.C. Lee, only this time in a different division.

The 16-year-old standout from Mandan, N.D., won the Boys 18 and Under singles championship after winning titles in the 14 and 16 divisions in the past.

“I guess it’s a little different,” Christen said comparing the titles. “Winning the 18s, it kind of means you’re the top dog. Like last year I won the 16s, I wonder what I would have done in the 18s. You always wonder, but once you’ve won the top division, it feels a little different.”

Christen, who played number two on his high school team, dropped just three games in the final against Alexander Comings of Wahpeton, N.D.

“Just stay consistent, move him around until he missed sometimes,” Christen said of his strategy.

Christen also came up big when Comings was able to move him around, covering the court from sideline to sideline.

“I wanted to win the point,” Christen said, “and you gotta run back and forth if you have to.”

PITCHER PREVAILS IN GIRLS’ FINAL

Jenny Pitcher of Bismarck, N.D., was able to overcome a slow start to defeat Sarah Knie of Aberdeen in the Girls 18 and Under singles final, featuring two 13-year-olds, who both started on their high school varsity teams last year as seventh-graders.

Pitcher trailed 5-2 in the opening set before turning the match around.

“It was all in my mental game,” Pitcher said. “I just had to calm myself, recollect myself, and then try to get back into it.”

Pitcher said she has trailed in past matches and wasn’t going to panic.

“When I was down 2-5, I thought the match is never over,” Pitcher said. “This is my time to come back.”

The North Dakotan began to dictate points with her hard-hitting shots.

“I just started playing more aggressive and then it was hard for her to catch up, and she didn’t,” Pitcher said.

Pitcher also defeated one of Aberdeen Central’s top players, Avery Tennant on Monday, which gave her a shot of confidence.

“After beating her, I thought well, I can beat any of the players here,” Pitcher said.

She said confidence can have a big impact on the mental approach to matches.

“That’s the mindset I have to have, I think,” Pitcher said. “It doesn’t mater who the player is. I can beat anybody, with your mindset and just focusing on your form and all that.”

PROBLEM SOLVING LEADS TO TITLE

Matthew Christen of Mandan appeared to be well on his way to winning the Boys 16 and Under singles title when his momentum hit a wall in the second set.

Up a set and leading 5-0 in the second, Christen was just four points away from winning his second straight C.C. Lee crown. However, he soon found himself clinging to a 5-4 lead against Cooper Star.

He talked about what went through his mind at that stage.

“Well, first I start to pray because I want to win, but second of all I gotta just focus on how he’s getting ahead of me. Like what’s different from the last set,” Christen said. “In this case, he got up to the net and I couldn’t pass him. I was missing all my passing shots, so then I hit the balls deeper, and he couldn’t come up to the net as much.”

When told that his problem solving skills would likely serve him well later in life, Christen quipped, “Trophies are a good plus one, though.”

Christen later teamed with his brother Jared to win the Boys 18 and Under doubles championship.

SAVING BEST FOR LAST

It was only fitting that for a tourney that featured so many close matches, the final contest on the court Tuesday came down to a super tiebreaker.

The team of Estelle Riggs and Sarah Knie of Aberdeen edged the squad of Jenny Pitcher and Elise Roberts.

The local girls dropped the first set before regrouping and grabbing the momentum.

Riggs said a key was a change in attitude.

“Like after that first set we just kept high-fiving,” Riggs said. “We just brought each other up and made each other happy.”

The 14-year-old Riggs finished off the match with a solid backhand winner up the line to cap off the super breaker at 10-7.

“It felt really good, because I saw that she was just moving to the side,” Riggs said of her opponent’s position on the court. “I’m like I have to hit that backhand good or else it’s going straight out. It felt really good.”

The team of Riggs and Knie had a solid tourney, despite not playing much together in the past. Riggs hopes that will change in the future.

“I think we’re a really good team,” Riggs said, “and I hope we play during the season.”

BOYS’ DIVISION

12 and Under Singles

Consolation championship: Sterne Johnston def. Trace Peterson, 6-4, 4-6, (10-8)

14 and Under Singles

Rhys Nielsen, Sioux Falls def. Gavin Johnston, 6-0, 6-0; Caleb Stoks def. Liam Voehl, 6-1, 6-3.

Championship: Nielsen def. Stoks, 6-2, 6-0.

Consolation championship: Zach Miller def. Leo Menden, 8-3.

14 and Under Doubles

Round Robin

Voehl-Stoks def. Albrecht-Albrecht, 6-0, 6-3; Voehl-Stoks def. Miller-Schuler, 6-1, 6-2; Miller-Schuler def. Albrecht-Albrecht, 6-3, 6-1. First Place, Voehl-Stoks; Second place, Miller-Schuler.

16 and Under Singles

Matthew Christen def. Gracin Kaste, 6-4, 6-3; Cooper Star def. Zachary Comings, 6-1, 6-0.

Championship: Christen def. Star, 7-5, 6-4.

Consolation championship: Comings def. Mason Moe, 8-2.

18 and Under Singles

Jared Christen def. Garnett Anderson, 6-0, 6-0; Alexander Comings def. Alex Tarver, 6-2, 6-0.

Championship: Christen def. Comings, 6-2, 6-1.

Consolation

Alex Baugh def. Koltin Swearingen, 8-4; Aric Tennant def. Daxon Carter, 8-3; Baugh def. Linus Johnson, 8-4. Championship: Tennant def. Baugh, 8-3.

18 and Under Doubles

Championship: Christen-Christen def. Anderson-Comings, 6-4, 4-6, (10-6).

GIRLS’ DIVISION

14 and Under Singles

Payton Lamp def. Penelope Vogel, 5-7, 5-4, ret.; Charlotte Swanson def. Halle Buckhouse, 6-1, 6-0.

Championship: Lamp def. Swanson, 6-4, 6-1.

Consolation

Rhapsody Lunsetter def. Avery Miller, 8-5; Isla Kaste def. Elinor Anderson, 8-3; Lunsetter def. Natalie Sieh, by default. Championship: Lunsetter def. Kaste, 8-0.

14 and Under Doubles

Championship: Miller-Intveld def. Buckhouse-Vogel, by default.

16 and Under Singles

Ava Schuler def. Hailey Intveld, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, (10-2); Ravyn Skundberg def. Baileigh Dannen, 6-0, 6-2.

Championship: Schuler def. Skundberg, 6-0, 6-1.

Consolation

Intveld def. Hannah Moderow, 8-0; Debrianna Hicks def. Dannen, 8-3. Championship: Intveld def. Hicks, 8-1.

18 and Under Singles

Sarah Knie def. Sophia Menden, 6-3, 6-4; Jenny Pitcher def. Elise Roberts, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.

Championship: Pitcher def. Knie, 7-5, 6-1.

Consolation

Avery Tennant def. Anneliese Wells, 8-1; Estelle Riggs def. Ashlynn Lamp, 8-1. Championship: Tennant def. Riggs, 8-3.

18 and Under Doubles

Championship: Riggs-Knie def. Pitcher-Roberts, 4-6, 6-1, (10-7).