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 The IHSA Boys Tennis State Finals are set for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 29-31, as the 2014 edition of the tournament marks the 99th in state history. The state finals will unfold on the courts of a number of high schools (see right sidebar) throughout the northwest Chicago suburbs on Thursday and Friday, before all championship bracket matches move to the campus of 29-year state final host, Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, on Saturday. Should inclement weather force matches to be moved indoors, indoor sites will be posted on the IHSA website.
The NFHS Network will be there to document the action and will post a highlight recap on IHSA.tv in the days that follow the event.
Hinsdale Central rolled to a second consecutive team state title a year ago and now vies for its second threepeat since 2007, as the Red Devils also won three in a row from 2007-2009. The team will feature a pair of state champions in Singles action. Junior Martin Joyce, the defending state Singles champ, is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, and could become the second player (Marty Riessen, 4-time winner from 1957-60) in school history to win multiple Singles crowns with a repeat performance. Teammate and fellow junior Edward Grabill (No. 6 seed) joins Joyce in the Singles bracket this year after making up one half of the state champion Doubles tandem a year ago. Grabill’s move doesn’t weaken the team’s Doubles play though, as the duo of junior Lope Adelakun and senior Chase Hamilton earned the top Doubles seed in 2014 and try to become the third consecutive Doubles champs from the school.
Lake Forest and Stevenson tied for second-place at the 2013 meet, earning an identical 36 team points, and both welcome back key contributors again in 2014. Lake Forest senior Peter Tarwid is the No. 2 Singles seed after he made it to the finals of the consolation bracket in 2013. Stevenson counters with the Doubles team of junior Colin Harvey and senior Andrew Komarov, who also earned a No. 2 seed in their respective division after placing third a year ago.
Meanwhile, Lake Forest adds more depth with the senior Doubles team of Scott Christian and Connor O’Kelly, who are the No. 6 seed.
New Trier, the only school not named Hinsdale Central to win a state title (2010, 2011) since 2007 was fourth a year ago and will be well represented by the No. 8 seeded Doubles team of junior Corey Schwartz and senior Alex Galoustian.
Libertyville last won a team trophy in boy’s tennis when the school finished as the runner-up at the 1970 state tournament behind Grey King’s second straight Singles title. With a pair of seeded Singles players in junior Ben VanDixhorn (No. 3) and freshman Stefano Tsorotiotis (No. 7) leading the way, the Wildcats hope to end that streak, while also challenging for the school’s first Singles title since 1978 (Kreg Yingst).
St. Charles East senior Jasper Koenen (No. 4) and Downers Grove South junior Tony Leto (No. 5) round out the Top 5 seeds in the Singles field in 2014. Koenen placed fourth a year ago, while Leto won two matches at last year’s state tournament before falling to the eventual runner-up.
Edwardsville has never won a state title in Singles or Doubles action before, a fact that senior pair and No. 3 Doubles seed Logan Ware and Jack Desse hope to change in 2014. Morton’s senior twin tandem of Grant and Trent Reiman (No. 4 seed) are expected to factor into that equation as well. The Reiman’s are one of two Doubles teams (Stevenson’s Harvey/Komarov) who return intact after advancing to Saturday’s action at last year’s state meet. Metamora senior Will Koehrson reached the quarterfinals of the Doubles consolation bracket last season, but will play Singles in 2014, where he is the No. 7 seed.
Glenbrook North juniors David Zakhodin and Miguel Perez round out the list of seeded teams (No. 7), as they vie to become their school’s first-ever Doubles state champions.
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TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
Hersey High School (Arlington Heights)
Directions
OTHER COURTS
Barrington High School
Buffalo Grove High School
Elk Grove High School
Fremd High School
Hersey High School
Hoffman Estates High School
Palatine High School
Prospect High School
Rolling Meadows High School
Schaumburg High School
Wheeling High School
SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 29
All matches - 8:00 am *
Friday, May 30
Consolation - 8:00 am *
Championship - 9:00 am *
Saturday, May 31
Consolation - 8:00 am
Championship - 9:00 am
* Suspended matches will be played at a site and time TBA by tournament managers
LIVE LEADERBOARD
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
TICKETS
There is no charge for admission at this event
BROADCAST
A highlight package from the tournament will be posted on www.IHSA.tv in the days that follow the tournament.
MEDIA
#IHSA on Twitter
Facebook Page
Photos
Video Highlights
HISTORY & RECORDS
2014 State Series
Record Book & Past Champions
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