THE MEET: The 25th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Team Tennis Tournament will be held Friday and Saturday, June 7-8. The meet takes place at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Action will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday and will resume at 9 a.m. Saturday. Ticket prices are $6 per session.
THE DIVISION 1 MATCH-UPS:
Division 1 - Quarterfinals (5:30 p.m. June 7)
Match-1: #1 Marquette (23-3) vs. #8 Mukwonago (21-6)
Match-2: #4 Arrowhead (22-6) vs. #5 Middleton (19-2)
Match-3: #3 Eau Claire Memorial (26-3) vs. #6 Green Bay Southwest (21-9)
Match-4: #2 Brookfield East (22-3) vs. #7 Neenah (10-7)
Division 1 - Semifinals (9 a.m. June 8)
Match-5: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
Match-6: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4
Division 1 - Championship (2 p.m. June 8)
Match-7: Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6
THE DIVISION 2 MATCH-UPS:
Division 2 - Semifinals (9 a.m. June 8)
Match-1: #1 Notre Dame (18-7) vs. #4 La Crosse Logan (11-2)
Match-2: #2 Brookfield Academy (14-1) vs. #3 Catholic Memorial (19-2)
Division 2 - Championship (2 p.m. June 8)
Match-3: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
LAST YEAR: Marquette won its 11th title in the last 12 years in Division 1 with a 6-1 victory over Brookfield East in the championship match. In Division 2, Edgewood won the team title with a 4-3 victory over University School of Milwaukee in the championship match.
THE HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The WIAA has sponsored a team championship in boys tennis since 1995. Points scored by individuals determined team champions prior to that time. Nicolet had dominated the Division 1 competition for years, winning a membership-leading 26 championships, including six (1997-99, 2004-06) since the advent of the two-division team tournament. Eight of the Knights’ championships came consecutively from 1967-74. Marquette is a distant second in the number of titles with 13. Seven of Marquette’s titles came consecutively from 2007-13. Neenah and University School are third on the list of champions with 10 team titles. Six of University School’s titles came consecutively from 2006-11. Manitowoc and Whitefish Bay are next in line with six titles. Since the dual match format was adopted, Eau Claire Memorial has made the most State appearances, now with 22. Neenah is next with 17 and Marquette has qualified 16 times.
DIVISION 1 NOTES: Four-time defending champion Marquette is making its 13th straight appearance and its 16th overall. The Hilltoppers, the top seed in the bracket, have won the team championship in 11 of the last 12 years and have won 13 titles overall. They produced State titles in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as a runner-up finish in 2004. Second-seeded Brookfield East is making its ninth appearance in the State team tournament and its second in a row after finishing runner-up to the Hilltoppers last season. The Spartans won their only team title in 2014. Third-seeded Eau Claire Memorial makes its membership-leading 22nd appearance at State and its 18th in the last 19 years. The Old Abes’ furthest advance in the tournament was to the title match in 2014 when they finished runner-up. Arrowhead is the fourth seed. The Warhawks return to State for the seventh time and for the third straight season. They are in pursuit of their first title. They advanced to the semifinals for the first and only time in 2013 and then again last season, which represents their furthest advance in the tournament. Fifth-seeded Middleton’s first appearance since 2016 is its 12th overall. The Cardinals have finished runner-up on four occasions. Those came in 2000, 2007, 2009 and 2015. Green Bay Southwest, the sixth seed, is back in the team tournament for the third straight season and for the eighth time overall. The furthest advance at State for the Fighting Trojans was to the semifinals in 1999. The seventh seed, Neenah, makes its sixth State appearance in the last seven seasons and its 17th overall. The Rockets had a string of eight consecutive appearances from 2000-2007. They won five straight championships from 1991-1995 and 10 overall titles, also earning the crown in 1946, 1951, 1953, 1957 and 1965. The Rockets also have 11 runner-up finishes, including 1935, 1940, 1950, 1952, 1971, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2013, 2016 and 2017. Mukwonago, the eighth seed, is making its first-ever appearance in the State Team Tournament.
DIVISION 2 NOTES: Top-seeded Notre Dame returns to State for the ninth time overall and for the first time since 2016 when the Tritons finished runner-up. The Tritons’ captured the gold trophy in 2012 and have finished runner-up in three other prior appearances, in 2005, 2010 and again in 2013. The remainer of the field is experiencing the State Team Tournament for the first time. Brookfield Academy was issued the #2 seed. Catholic Memorial is the third seed, and La Crosse Logan is seeded fourth.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS: In the Division 1 singles bracket, fourth-seeded Johnny Zakowski of Green Bay Southwest posted a 7-5, 6-3 victory over second-seeded Nathan Balthazor of De Pere in the championship match. In Division 1 doubles play, the top-seeded tandem of junior Riley Aranda and senior Jaden Aranda of Nicolet won the championship with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over the second-seeded duo of seniors John Stockhausen and Teddy Brodzinski from Marquette in the title match. Pablo Dale of Brookfield Academy successfully defended the Division 2 singles title he won last season. The top-seeded player in the bracket downed sophomore Alex Sviatoslavsky of Edgewood, the #2 seed, 6-1, 6-0. Kelby Mack and Noah Wankerl of Sauk Prairie captured the Division 2 doubles championship with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over the fourth-seeded team of Josh Janssen and Christian Remington of Notre Dame in the championship match.
NEED RESULTS & INFORMATION?: Rosters and records of teams in the State tournament are available on the Media Center of the WIAA website. Results will be available on the Tennis Results page of the WIAA website at https://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Spring/Boys-Tennis/Tournament. Check out the results of State Individual Championships played May 30-June 1 on the tennis results page as well.
FOLLOW THE TOURNEY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Receive updates of the State Boys Team Tennis Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaatennis. Also like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram at wiaawi, and add us on Snapchat at wiaawis.
WILSON IS OFFICIAL BALL OF THE WIAA: Wilson is the official ball and tennis supplier of the WIAA boys and girls Sectional and State Tennis Tournaments through the 2020 seasons.