FROM STAFF REPORTS
November 13, 2007 09:40 am TRAVERSE CITY -- Aaron Mayes added to his honors Monday. Mayes, who won a third Lake Michigan Conference title and a second Division 4 regional championship at No. 1 singles, was selected to the Division 4 All-State first team. Mayes was honorable mention last season. The team is picked by the state tennis coaches association. "He definitely had the type of season to earn consideration," said his coach and father, Gerry Mayes. "He had a great season. He just keeps progressing." Mayes, a junior, finished the season 25-3. He beat Grandville Calvin Christian's Brian DeMaagd 6-1, 6-4 in a first-round match in the state finals. He then dropped a 6-4, 6-4 match to No. 5 seed Peter Sienko of Williamston in the second round. Sienko went on to beat No. 4 seed Alex Dombos of Kalamazoo Hackett before losing to top seed and eventual champion C.J. Griffin of Portland. Mayes owns a career mark of 66-9. Larry Nykerk, who led Traverse City Central to a 13th-place finish in the Division 2 state championships, was named Coach of the Year in that division. It's the third time in his career Nykerk's received the honor. He won the boys' award in 1985 and the girls' award in 1997. Trojan freshman Fischer Sutherland received honorable mention All-State honors in singles. Sutherland finished the season 30-11. "For a kid, 13, to earn All-State mention in singles is an amazing feat," Nykerk said. "Most of his losses were to players who are on the All-State team. And he was very competitive in those matches." Nykerk said Sutherland is Central's first All-State player since Kory Gernhofer in 1999. That was year Nykerk stepped down as boys coach. He returned last spring and has the Central program "on track." "We're getting the program back to where it was at the state level," he said. Nykerk said it "feels good" to be recognized by his peers. "It was nice just to win the regional award," he said. "It's difficult to win that one."
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