By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Playing his best tennis of the season, Conor Schultz, the Burlington High Schools’ No. 1 singles player in boys tennis, took the title at the Southern Lakes Conference Meet played last Friday and Saturday.
Schultz opened the meet with a 6-0, 6-2 defeat of Elkhorn’s Peter Meylink. Earlier this year, Schultz had defeated Meylink, but only by a 7-5, 6-2 decision.
In the semifinals, Schultz took on Nathaniel Brockmann of Waterford. Schultz had lost to Brockmann 6-4, 6-0 earlier this spring. This time around, though, Schultz turned the tables, defeating Brockmann 6-2, 6-4.
With that win, Schultz faced David Leffler of Union Grove, a player he had defeated in three sets earlier this season. This time it only took two sets, as Schultz won the crown with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Schultz’s win helped propel the Demon boys into a tie for fourth in the tournament. Overall, the team finished sixth in the SLC, combining dual meets and the tournament finish.
Elkhorn won the SLC tournament and the season crown.
The No. 3 doubles team of Kyle Talley and Dominic James took third. In their opening match, they did not lose a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win over Union Grove. In the semfinals, Talley and James fell to Badger 6-1, 6-2, but they rebounded to defeat Waterford 6-2, 6-2 for third place.
Jon Martin, the No. 2 singles player, and the No. 2 doubles team of Dylan Kleitsch and Noah Ehlen, each finished fourth.
The No. 1 doubles team of Zach Gesteland and Kyle Crayton lost their opening match to a Badger pair they had defeated earlier this season. They came back, though, to win their next two matches and capture fifth place.
Vs. Indian Trails
The Demon boys finished the regular season at home Tuesday and dropped a non-conference 4-3 dual to Indian Trails of Kenosha.
Burlington got wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, and at No. 3 doubles.
“Happy to get the wins where we did,” head coach Ken Savaglia said, adding that Indian Trails paired its No. 1 and No. 2 singles players at No. 1 doubles.
Conor Schultz won a 6-2, 6-2 match at No. 1 singles, and Jon Martin earned a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 2.
The win at No. 3 doubles involved quite a match.
“I had to put Zach Bieber in at No. 3 doubles because of injury to Kyle Talley,” Savaglia said.
Bieber and Dominic James won the first set 7-6(5), and lost the second set 5-7, setting up a tiebreaker.
The tiebreaker took 34 points to decide before Bieber and James won 18-16.
With the loss, Burlington ended the regular season with a 2-8 overall mark. The netters were 2-5 in the Southern Lakes Conference.
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