YANKTON – Aberdeen Central wrapped up play at the Eastern South Dakota Conference Tennis Tournament Tuesday with a fourth place finish and two fifth-place wins.

The Golden Eagles finished sixth in the team standings with 44.5 points. Harrisburg won the tournament.

“We were happy to get sixth. Going in we were probably flighted like eighth,” said Central coach Trent Kurtz. “Definitely things broke our way a little bit. We out-performed in some spots. We always talk in these tournaments, one of our goals is to play to your seed or higher and we did that at every flight.”

That allowed Central to finish with a higher point total than projected going into the two-day event.

“We were only seeded for 28 points and end with 44 and half, and get sixth,” Kurtz said. “Definitely happy with the way we finished team-wise.”

The Golden Eagles received a fourth-place finish from the third flight doubles team of Josiah Grandpre and Grayson Rehder. Dawson Pederson was fifth at top flight singles, and teamed with his brother Gannon to take fifth at top flight doubles.

However, Central lost multiple close matches it had chances to win.

“We lost matches today up 7-4, and lost a tie break, up 7-5, lost a tiebreak, lost a match when we were up 4-1, lost a match up 6-4,” Kurtz said, “so it definitely could have been a better day, but had a lot of good things there, too. Overall, we played pretty well.”

The Golden Eagles will now gear up for the state tournament in Rapid City on Thursday and Friday, May 21-22.

“We really have been playing well lately in a lot of spots. … We’re playing the best tennis we’ve played all year,” Kurtz said.

Team Points: Harrisburg 436, Brandon Valley 279.5. Mitchell 188, Yankton 180, Watertown 91, Aberdeen Central 44.5, Brookings 34.5, Pierre 19.5, Huron 16.5,

SINGLES

First Flight

DAWSON PEDERSON: def. Lucas Hight, Pierre, 9-0; def. Matthew Mauszcyki, Mitchell,8-5. FIFTH PLACE.

Second Flight

ARIC TENNANT: lost to Lah Gay Soe, Huron, 8-5.

Third Flight

GANNON PEDERSON: def. Cooper Star, Mitchell, 8-6; lost to Brady Lowry, Pierre, 8-7 (7-5).

Fourth Flight

WYATT KIESZ: lost to Dawson Hartman, Watertown, 8-3.

Fifth Flight

ALEX TARVER: lost to Ted Lin, Brookings, 8-7 (7-2).

Sixth Flight

GRAYSON REHDER: lost to Jeremiah Notario, Huron, 8-6.

DOUBLES

First Flight

DAWSON PEDERSON-GANNON PEDERSON: def. Zachary Mueller-Henry Stedman, Brookings, 8-4; def. Lucas Hight-Noah Lueking, Pierre, 10-4. FIFTH PLACE.

Second Flight

ARIC TENNANT-WYATT KIESZ: lost to Lay Gay Soe-Jeremiah Notario, Huron, 8-5.

Third Flight

JOSIAH GRANPRE-GRAYSON REHDER: lost to Max Vincelli-Ryley McKeown, Brandon Valley, 10-1; lost to Jack Pedersen-Zane Becker, Yankton, 8-2. FOURTH PLACE.