Published: October 09, 2008 08:00 pm      

Gladiators roll through tennis regional

Elks' Mayes again tops No. 1 singles

PETOSKEY -- Game, set, no match.

Traverse City St. Francis won seven of the eight flights on Thursday to easily win their Division 4 regional tennis championship.

The victory advances the Glads -- along with runner-up Elk Rapids and Matt Matteson of Harbor Springs -- to the state finals at Jenison on Oct. 17-18.

It's the third straight time St. Francis will take its entire team to the state final.

"The guys played well," St. Francis coach Annie Murphy said. "Now we just have to get ready for states, which will be a little bit tougher.

"But they're excited. All they want to do is get more points than they did last year."

St. Francis will head to states after a dominating regional performance.

The Glads finished with 30 points, 10 better than Elk Rapids, which also qualifies for state. Host Harbor Springs was third with 14, followed by Manistee (9), Leelanau School (7), Charlevoix (7), Boyne City (4), Glen Lake (2) and Grayling (0).

Aaron Mayes of Elk Rapids won No. 1 singles at the regional for the third straight time. He beat Matteson 6-0, 6-0 in the final.

The rest of the regional belonged to St. Francis.

Will Elliott won No. 2 singles with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Max Bauer of Elk Rapids in the final. Mac Hughes captured No. 3 singles, beating the Elks' Donnie Fedrigon 7-5, 6-2 in the last match.

Sean Paquet topped Avery Lipman of Leelanau School 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the final at No. 4 singles.

All four of the finals in doubles were straight-set victories for St. Francis.

Michael Elliott and Newton Calcutt topped Scott Silberhorn and Mike Pelon of Charlevoix 6-1, 6-3 to win No. 1.

At No. 2 doubles, Alex Rushlow/Mac Corcoran defeated the Elk Rapids duo of Kyle Hoover and Josh Mosher 6-0, 7-5.

Josh Kurtz and Pat Wilson won No. 3 doubles for the Glads by beating Adam Calloway and Max Wiggins of Harbor Springs by a 6-0, 7-5 score.

St. Francis and Elk Rapids also matched up in the final at No. 4 doubles with Chris Miller and Josh Quinlan prevailing over Daniel Parlin and E.J. Campbell by a 6-0, 6-3 score.

Murphy said the time the Gladiators put in before the season and a competitive schedule paid dividends at the regional.

"They worked real hard during the season and even the offseason," she said. "And it shows. Plus they played a lot of good competition during the season."