SPORTS

Yankton wins Class A boys tennis title, Aberdeen Roncalli finishes eighth

Trent Abrego
Aberdeen News
Aberdeen Roncalli's Daniel Gamboa chases down a ball during a match in No. 1 singles action on day one of the Class A state tournament on Monday at Sioux Park.

Yankton had all three of its double teams in championship matches, with two claiming titles, en route to picking up the Class A state boys high school tennis championship on Tuesday in Rapid City.

The Bucks finished with 439.5 points to beat Rapid City Christian with 422.5 and Mitchell with 397.5 in the team race. Aberdeen Roncalli placed eighth and Milbank 11th.

Daniel Gamboa and Mason Carrels, Roncalli's No.1 doubles team, led the way for the Cavaliers, scoring 24 team points. That duo picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win over Madison's of Mason Kennington and Spencer Reverts in the opening round.

Gamboa and Carrels fell to the eventual champions, Yankton's Gage Becker and Zachary Briggs, in the quarterfinals before dropping their final match 8-3 to Sioux Falls Christian's Landon Levenhagen and Daniel Puumala. 

Roncalli's second-flight doubles team of Cason Hellwig and Palmer Johnson also won their opening match before losing two straight to garner 20 team points.

In third-flight doubles, Roncalli's Landon Zikmund and Gannon May dropped a tight opening-round match, then won three straight to finish ninth and score 13.5 team points.

Aberdeen Roncalli's Mason Carrels hits a return during No. 3 singles action on day one of the Class A state tournament on Monday at Sioux Park.

Gamboa turned in a 20-point performance in first-flight singles, winning his first match before losing two straight.

In second-flight singles, Hellwig followed the same path, winning once and losing twice to log 18 team points.

Carrels was 0-2 at third-flight singles.

Johnson placed sixth in No. 4 singles, losing the fifth-place match Sioux Falls Christian's Grant Santema. Johnson scored 18.5 team points.

At fifth-flight singles Zikmund also finished sixth after falling to Sioux Falls Christian's James Woodward in the fifth-place match. Zikmund added 16 team points.

May went 1-2 at No. 6 singles to pick up 10 team points for the Cavaliers.

Team scores

Yankton (439.5), Rapid City Christian (422.5), Mitchell (397.5), Sioux Falls Christian (312), Pierre T.F. Riggs (282.5), Lennox (240), Huron (178), Aberdeen Roncalli (140), Spearfish (89), Madison (78.5), Milbank (78), Vermillion (15.5), St. Thomas More (12). 

Singles championship matches

First flight: No. 1 Noah Greni (Rapid City Christian) def. No. 2 Gage Becker (Yankton), 6-2, 6-4

Second flight: No. 2 Daniel Puumala (Sioux Falls Christian) def. Tyler Locker (Mitchell), 5-7, 6-4, 10-7

Third flight: Andrew Dobbs (Rapid City Christian) def. Zachary Briggs (Yankton), 7-5, 1-6, 10-8.

Fourth Flight: Harrison Krajewski (Yankton) def. Luke Leingang (Pierre), 6-1, 6-7 (7), 10-6.

Fifth Flight: Spencer Kelly (Pierre) def. Keaton List (Yankton) 7-6(5), 6-3.

Sixth Flight: Luke Jerke (Mitchell) def. Miles Krajewski (Yankton) 3-6, 7-5, 10-2.

Double championship matches

First flight: Becker/Briggs (Yankton) def. Larson/Loecker (Mitchell), 10-9, (5)

Second flight: Dobbs/Hancock (Rapid City Christian) def. Schulte/List (Yankton), 10-6

Third flight: Krajewski/Ridgway (Yankton) def. Woodward/Ligtenberg (Sioux Falls Christian), 8-3