TENNIS THREE-PEAT: Eskymos Take GNC Title
Click the AUDIO buttons to hear comments from Eskymo champions Dawson Williams and Sam Rivera.
ESCANABA---The Escanaba Eskymos won the Great Northern Conference championship for a third straight year on Tuesday, edging Kingsford, 24 points to 22, with Marquette third at 20 points. Menominee, Munising, West Iron County, and Gladstone also competed in the daylong event.
Escanaba's Dawson Williams won the #1 singles championship, but it wasn't easy. He had another war with Menominee's Brock Murphy. Murphy won the first set, 6-2, before Williams rallied to take the next two sets, 6-2, 6-0.
“Really long day, but I finally got the third one against him,” Williams said. “Last year, I had a really good serve and I've been able to consistently been able to keep that up. But my forehand, my movement, and my footwork has improved so much. My speed is a huge part of my game.”
Williams credits the Olivier family from Marquette for helping him to improve, with both Nick, Alec, and Elyse all winning U.P. Championships and being named All-State.
“They practiced with me this winter, and I'm really grateful that they took me in,” Williams said.
Escanaba #2 singles player Sam Rivera was also a champion, turning back Marquette's Chase Thompson in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3.
“I hit a big fore-hand to their backhand,” Rivera said of his best shot. “I always hit it down the line. This means a lot to me, and the team. We've really worked hard for this. We're going to be ready for U.P. Finals. We just need more practice. We had a lot of support from our school and all of the people who came. It was a fun time.”
Escanaba's Matt Dykema won the GNC title at #3 singles, cruising past Kingsford's Cale Harris, 6-1, 6-0, in the final. But at #4 singles, Eskymo senior Julian Cashen was leading his match, winning 6-3 in the first set, losing the second set, 4-6, but leading, 3-0, before losing the third set, 4-6, to Marquette's Caleb Janofski.
At #1 doubles, Kingsford's Ben Trevillian and Gabe LaFreniere outlasted Munising's Kane Nebel and Carson Kienitz in the championship, 6-3, 3-6, and 10-5 in the third set to take the GNC title.
At #2 doubles, Marquette's Liam McFarren and Andrew King rallied past Kingsford's Eli Wallis and Jacob Saari, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 to take the championship.
At #3 doubles, Escanaba's Nick Chaillier and Vincent Guindon pulled out a 7-6, 6-0 win, to give the Eskymos their fourth flight victory of the day. The tandem cruised through the first set over Kingsford's Craig Sweig and Hunter Hulkonen, 6-0, before the two teams battled through a long second set, with Chaillier and Guindon won, 7-6.
At #4 doubles, Kingsford's Brett Berglund and Isaac Lebouef defeated Marquette's Abe Ketala and Connor Stade, 7-5, 6-2.
Gladstone's best effort was at #4 doubles, with the team of Matt Hagebusch and Tyler Soderman taking third place.
Now the teams get ready for the U.P. Finals, set for May 31st in Kingsford. The Negaunee Miners will be the heavy favorites, but Williams says don't count out the Eskymos, who won the championship last spring.
“They've always been a super-big challenge for us,” Williams said of the Miners. “But I think if we just dial it in, be really conservative with our shots, take advantage of weak shots, I think there's a chance. I'm confident that I can win #1 singles, and I hope we can get some other U.P. Champs in there as well.”
