Luverne will again represent Section 3A at the Minnesota boys’ tennis state tournament next week in Minneapolis.
The Cardinals won their 12th consecutive Section 3A team championship on Tuesday, May 24, in Redwood Falls, continuing a streak that began in 2010 (excluding the 2020 no-sports pandemic year).
After defeating MACCRAY in the tournament quarterfinals 7-0 May 23, Luverne took down Redwood Valley 5-2 in the semifinal round Tuesday morning.
The Cards then defeated Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sundberg 4-3 in an exciting section championship contest to keep one of Southwest Minnesota’s most impressive state tournament appearance streaks alive for a dozen years.
“This is always one of our team goals,” said No. 1 singles player Pierce Cunningham.
“No one wants to be on the team that loses the streak. … We’re looking forward to having fun up at state and getting the chance to compete with the best teams in the state.”
The Cardinals also began play in the section individual tournament Thursday, May 26, with two entries in the singles competition and two teams in the doubles competition.
Cunningham won two singles matches and Griffen Jarchow and Blake Frahm won two doubles matches to advance to the semifinals that were played Tuesday, May 31, after this edition of the Star Herald went to press.
State tournament play will begin Tuesday at the Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis with team quarterfinals and consolation semifinals.
First rounds of singles and doubles play at the state tournament begin on Thursday, June 9.
“Twelve straight appearances is a credit to the players now and before,” Larson said. “They are the ones who play the matches and the success is squarely on their shoulders.”
Larson is coaching his second and final season for the Cardinals. He has resigned his teaching and coaching positions at LHS after accepting teaching and coaching positions at Waconia High School for next school year.
“I’m very excited for one last state tournament opportunity,” Larson said.
LHS 5, Redwood Valley 2
The Cardinals won all of the five contested matches to secure a victory over Redwood Valley in the semifinals of the Section 3A team tournament March 24 in Redwood Falls.
Cunningham remained undefeated on the season by winning over Andrew Muetzel 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.
Jarchow, who has also not lost a match this year at No. 2 singles, defeated Jacob Zollner 6-1, 6-0.
In doubles play, Logan Ommen and Chance Tunnissen defeated Kanyon Hicks and Marco Ramos 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 1 slot. Kyle Ferguson and Jase Arp bested Joe Davila and Melayna Nez 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 doubles.
At No. 3 doubles, Luke Bosch and Spencer Kracht defeated Yzykiel Rendon and Ben Jorgenson 6-2, 6-1.
With the five match victories and overall semifinal team win secured, LHS forfeited the No. 3 and No. 4 singles matches.
LHS 4, Benson/KMS 3
If a section team was going to defeat Luverne and end the Cardinals’ 12-year state tournament streak, it was probably going to take some creative strategies.
That’s exactly what Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sundberg attempted to do, by moving their best singles players to doubles play against Luverne in the section championship meet.
“Benson tried to stack their doubles and, credit to them, it was a clever strategy,” said LHS head coach Lucas Larson.
“But our guys held their own. We have a strong roster and letting them play their own positions is our method of success.”
Using this “stacked doubles” strategy, Benson/KMS won all three doubles matches.
Hunter LeClair and Tyler Hadfield defeated Ommen and Tunnissen 6-4, 6-4 at No. 1 doubles.
At No. 2 doubles, Ferguson and Arp lost to Mason Bakke and Matthew Thompson 6-1, 6-1. At No. 3 doubles, Blake Brehmer and Alberto Vargas defeated Bosch and Kracht 6-2, 6-2.
The Cardinals’ singles players held strong, however, and swept all four singles matches to secure the team championship.
At No. 1 singles, Cunningham defeated Taylor Duncan 6-4, 6-0 while Jarchow came out on top of Harold Habben 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles.
Blake Frahm swept Alex Carlson 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles to tie the team score 3-3 before Ethan Nath defeated Isaac Carlson 6-4, 6-1 to earn the Cardinal section championship.
“It came down to Ethan at four singles,” Cunningham said. “He played very well and did not let the fact that everyone was watching him get to his head.”
Individual tournament
Luverne entered two singles and two doubles teams in the Section 3A individual tournament, which began Thursday, May 26, in Redwood Falls.
Cunnigham was awarded the No. 1 seed for singles play. Jarchow and Frahm, who normally play No. 2 and No. 3 singles for the Cards, entered the tournament as a doubles team and also earned the No. 1 seed.
Nath also entered the tournament seeded seventh in singles play while Tunnissen and Ferguson formed a doubles team that also earned the No. 7 seed.
Cunningham swept Brent Rassat of MACCRAY 6-0, 6-0 in Round 1 and Ryan Syring of Yellow Medicine East 6-0, 6-0 in Round 2 to qualify for the semifinal round played on Tuesday after this week’s newspaper deadline.
Nath defeated Matthew Martinson of Dawson-Boyd/Lac Qui Parle Valley 6-2, 6-2 before falling to Taylor Duncan of Benson/KMS 6-1, 6-0 in Round 2.
In doubles play, Frahm and Jarchow swept Josiah Seehusen and Daniel Seehusen of MACCRAY 6-0, 6-0 before defeating Jackson Buer and Liam Risch of D-B/LQPV 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the semifinals.
Tunnissen and Ferguson bested Derrick Lien and Isaac Olevson of YME 6-1, 6-2 and then lost 6-0, 6-0 to Andrew Muetzel and Drew Lundeen from Redwood Valley