THE TOURNAMENT: The 22nd Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Team Tennis Tournament will be held Friday and Saturday, June 10-11. 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 10)
Match-1: De Pere (19-7) vs. Middleton (14-7)
Match-2: Verona (19-10) vs. Marquette (25-2)
Match-3: Eau Claire Memorial (18-9) vs. Neenah (10-1)
Match-4: Waukesha South (18-12) vs. Brookfield Central (19-8)
Division 1 - Semifinals (9 a.m. June 11)
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 11)
Match-7: Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6
THE DIVISION 2 MATCH-UPS:
Division 2 - Semifinals (9 a.m. June 11)
Match-1: Edgewood (11-7) vs. University School (2-5)
Match-2: Sauk Prairie (10-2) vs. Notre Dame (17-4)
Division 2 - Championship (2 p.m. June 11)
Match-3: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
LAST YEAR: Marquette won its eighth title in the last nine years in Division 1 with a 5-2 victory over Middleton in the championship match. In Division 2, University School won its ninth title in the last 10 seasons by downing Edgewood 4-3 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, Neenah and University School are a distant second with 10 team titles. Seven of Marquette’s titles came consecutively from 2007-13, and 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 19. Neenah is next with 15, and Brookfield Central has 14 appearances. Edgewood, Marquette and University School have qualified 13 times.
DIVISION 1 NOTES: Defending champion Marquette is making its 10th straight appearance and its 13th overall. The Hilltoppers have won the team championship eight of the last nine years and have won 10 titles overall. They produced State titles in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015, as well as a runner-up finish in 2004. Last year’s runner-up Middleton is making its third consecutive appearance at State and its 11th overall. The Cardinals have now finished runner-up on four occasions. Those came in 2000, 2007, 2009 and again last season. Eau Claire Memorial makes its membership-leading 19th appearance at State and its 15th in the last 16 years. The Old Abes’ furthest advance in the tournament was to the title match in 2014 when they finished runner-up. Neenah makes its fourth straight State appearance and its 15th overall. The Rockets had a string of eight consecutive appearances from 2000-2007. They own a string of 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 nine runner-up finishes, including 1935, 1940, 1950, 1952 1971, 1996, 2001, 2005 and 2013. Brookfield Central is making its 14th State appearance overall and its first since 2010. The Lancers won back-to-back State titles in 2000-01 to go with the championship they won in 1996. They also recorded runner-up finishes in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999. Waukesha South returns to the State Team Tournament for the fourth time and for the first time since 2014. In each of the previous appearances, the Blackshirts have fallen in the quarterfinal round. Verona is making its fourth overall appearance as well. The Wildcats had a streak of three straight State experiences from 2002-04 with the furthest advance being to the semifinals in 2003. The only other State Team Tournament appearance for De Pere came back in 2009. That experience for the Redbirds resulted in a loss in the quarterfinals.
DIVISION 2 NOTES: Three-time defending champion University School has qualified for the 13th time in the last 14 years, only failing to qualify in 2005 during that span. The Wildcats have won 10 State titles overall. Six of those came in succession from 2006-11. In addition to that run, they won their first title in 2004, and have won titles the last three years. They have finished runner-up on two other occasions, in 2003 and again in 2012. Edgewood has finished runner-up the past two seasons. The Crusaders qualify for the State Team Tournament for the 13th straight year, which also accounts for their overall total. They have finished second seven times, including 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014 and again last season. Notre Dame returns to State for the eighth time overall and for the seventh consecutive year. The Tritons’ captured the gold trophy in 2012 and have finished runner-up in three of their prior appearances, in 2005, 2010 and again in 2013. Sauk Prairie qualifies for the State Team Tournament for the fourth time overall and for the first time since 2003. The Eagles have advanced to the finals in each of their four previous experiences. They captured Division 2 titles in 2001 and 2003, and they were runners-up in 1997 and 1999.
INDIVIDUAL HONORS: Top-seeded David Horneffer of Brookfield East won the Division 1 singles title by defeating teammate and second-seeded Robert Krill 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the championship match. The top-seeded tandem of seniors Patrick Krill and Doug Francken of Brookfield East won the Division 1 doubles title. They defeated second-seeded Alan Desai and Grant Mauthe of Neenah in the championship match 6-0, 6-0. Third-seeded Casey Johnson of Kohler won the Division 2 singles championship with his 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over second-seeded Juan Perez of The Prairie School in the final. Third-seeded Charlie Parish and Isaac Hingtgen of Notre Dame captured the Division 2 doubles crown by defeating top-seeded Zach Schneck and Jake Coran of University School by scores of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the final.
NEED RESULTS & INFORMATION? Results will be available on the Tennis Results page of the WIAA website at http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/BoysTennis.aspx. Check out the results of State Individual Championships played June 2-4 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 2018 seasons.