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State Results Archive

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Sports  /  Spring  /  Boys Tennis  /  State Results Archive

Boys Tennis History

The WIAA goes back to 1925 to determine the beginning of its boys tennis tournament program. Tournaments reportedly were held as early as 1919, but no records are available prior to 1925. Shorewood won the team championship (as well as singles and doubles titles) in 1925 when the tournament was held at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

The tournament continued at UW-Madison through 1931, then was held at Neenah through 1940. In the next 30 years, the site rotated among a half-dozen sites (Nicolet in Glendale held about a third of the tournaments). Nielsen Stadium (indoors) became the site of the State Tournament in 1973, and it has been held at that site since that time.

In 1995, a two-division format was adopted for boys tennis, which also included a separate team tournament series based on dual meet competition. Neenah captured the first Division 1 team title in the new format, beating Brookfield Central 4-3. Greendale won the first Division 2 team title by beating Brown Deer 5-2. Singles and doubles were contested in two divisions in a separate tournament.

The only interruptions in conducting the State Tournament Series to its completion came in 1933 during the Great Depression, in 1943 and 1944 during World War II, and in 2020 when the entire season and Tournament Series were canceled to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nicolet leads in number of State team championships with 26 (one a tie), including eight in a row from 1967-74. Marquette is a distant second in team titles with 15. University School of Milwaukee has 11 team titles and Neenah has 10. Seven of Marquette's titles came consecutively from 2007-13, and six of University School of Milwaukee's titles came consecutively from 2006-2011. Manitowoc (one tie) and Whitefish Bay have won six team championships, and Brookfield East is next with five State team titles won.

Eau Claire Memorial has appeared in the most State Boys Team Tournaments with 25. Neenah is next on the list with 21, and Marquette has qualified 20 times, followed by Brookfield Central and Edgewood with 16, and then Middleton and University School of Milwaukee with 15.

John Whitlinger of Neenah (1969-72) and Marc Eisen of Nicolet (1986-89) are the only two players to win four State singles championships. Bill Reed of Shawano (1939-41), Charles Bleckinger of Oshkosh (1959-61), Mark Loughrin of Greendale (1992, 1994-95), Eric Robertson of Nicolet (1996, 1998-99), Michael Dierberger of Nicolet (2004-06) and Zane Navratil of The Prairie School (2012-14) have each won three State singles titles. There have been 21 others who have won two singles titles. 

The tandem of Erich Palecek and Kevin Caiati of Greendale is the only doubles team to win three straight championships, and there have been only eight tandems that have won two straight titles with the same two partners both years. Six other boys have won doubles championships two years with different partners.

Nicolet boys have won the singles championship 16 times. Brookfield East, Marquette and Neenah singles players have won eight State titles. Singles players from Oshkosh have seven singles championships, while Brookfield Academy, Milwaukee Washington, Shorewood and University School of Milwaukee have won six singles titles. Neenah has won the most doubles championships with 15, and Nicolet is next with 14. Doubles teams from Marquette have won 10, and Manitowoc and Shorewood duos have captured seven doubles crowns.

Tournament Series Results