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For the first time since high school sports got shut down in March, Colorado will crown state champions. The Class 5A and 4A boys tennis state tournaments will begin play Friday in a modified bracket. Gone are the playback matches, and the format has been adjusted to single elimination. As always, 5A will head to the Gates Tennis Club in Denver with 4A being contested at Pueblo City Park. Each classification has returning champions and multiple squads vying for a team title.
Class 5A // BracketsThe traditional powerhouses are once again making a run at a team championship.
Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village),
Fairview (Boulder) and
Regis Jesuit (Aurora) are right in the mix for team gold, and it was the Raiders who claimed the top spot a year ago. With several returning champions, Regis Jesuit has to be considered a favorite, but the Bruins and Knights could have the depth needed to keep pace. Along the way, no one should count out
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch), which finished third a year ago.
No. 1 SinglesEven though last year's champion
Morgan Schilling (Regis Jesuit) is defending his title, this is still very much a three-way race. Cherry Creek's
George Cavo and Fairview's
Luke Silverman were all in contention a year ago. Those three players should make the 5A No. 1 singles bracket a fun one over the course of the two days at Gates Tennis Club. Schilling grabbed wins over Silverman and Cavo earlier in the season.
No. 2 SinglesCherry Creek's
Matt Batmunkh lost in last year's final but is hoping he can break through and grab a gold medal this go around. Valor Christian sophomore
Christian Trevey advanced to last year's semis and didn't lose a regular-season match this season.
Fruita Monument senior
Brandon Miller is back in the bracket and is looking to bounce back from his first-round exit a year ago.
No. 3 SinglesRegis Jesuit freshman
Cameron Kruep is looking for his first singles championship, but a slew of seniors is hoping experience plays a major factor in deciding this bracket. Among those seniors are
Jack Rueter of
Monarch (Louisville), who went 6-1 in singles play this year, along with
Boulder's Nathaniel Spillmann.
No. 1 DoublesCherry Creek's 2019 championship team of
Aram Izmirian and
Kiril Kostadinov split up. Izmirian moved on to singles competition, but Kostadinov remains at the position with brother
Kristian Kostadinov at his side.
Lakewood's Tommy Landmark and
Adam Abrahamson ran into an early buzzsaw last year and lost to Regis Jesuit's runner-up team in the first round, but are looking for a deeper run in 2020.
No. 2 DoublesThe
Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) combo of
Brady Elliott and
Drew Holmes went undefeated in the regular season. The No. 2 doubles bracket has a lot of new names in it, and although favorites can be picked out early, it's really a wide-open title chase.
No. 3 DoublesThe third doubles bracket might be in play for some of the more seasoned players at the tournament. The
Fort Collins combo of
Ian Hay-Arthur and
Eric Kearns went 6-0 in the regular season and could quietly be right in the mix for the championship.
No. 4 DoublesThis could be one of those years where a match like 4 doubles plays a major role in the crowning of a team champion. The Cherry Creek squad of
Blake Holst and
Matthew Hu comes in as the top seed, with a potential finals matchup against Regis Jesuit's
Charlie Jenkins and
Ryan McCarthy looming.
Class 4A // BracketsAfter consistent play ended with a 2019 state championship for
Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs), the team is looking for a repeat performance but will have to go at it with new faces. Cheyenne has different athletes playing all three singles spots. A runner-up team finish by
Mullen (Denver) last year, combined with several returning champions this season, gives the Mustangs hope they can make a run at a team title.
No. 1 SinglesPerhaps the toughest task in all of boys tennis this year will be stopping
Niwot's Neil Wilcox from repeating as a state champion. The Cougars senior has been dominant this season, dropping just one game in regular-season play. Mullen's
Mac Caldwell lost to Wilcox in the semifinals last year and looks poised for a final appearance Saturday. To begin the tournament, he'll have to get through a talented sophomore in
Gavin Hutter of
Sand Creek (Colorado Springs). Hutter is the first Scorpions player at the state tournament since 2014.
Ben Williams, Greeley West
File photo by Brent Murphy
No. 2 SinglesA lot of names look familiar in the No. 2 singles bracket. Mullen's
George Henry Hanzel finished as the runner-up last year and is a favorite to win it this year. But
Longmont's Danny O'Brien,
Aspen's Alex Mosher and
Greeley West's Ben Williams all bring considerable experience to the table and should put together a very competitive bracket. Last year's champion graduated, but Cheyenne Mountain hopes
Joseph Martensen can carry over his momentum from a regional championship win.
No. 3 SinglesUnlike the No. 2 singles bracket, this will feature a load of fresh faces.
Carter Smith of
D'Evelyn (Denver) moved up to No. 2 singles and the rest of last year's semifinalists either moved out of state, changed positions or graduated.
Pueblo West's Tommy Cruz enters as one of the few upperclassmen in the field and put together a 7-1 regular-season record this year.
Colorado Academy (Denver) senior
Ryan Gaghen overcame the struggles he experienced last year to advance to this year's state tournament.
No. 1 DoublesNiwot's
Ivan Calderon came so close to reaching the No. 2 doubles final last year. He and then-teammate Anton Lavrouk fell to eventual champion Mullen in the semis. Calderon is back in the No. 2 doubles mix, this time with
Lichen Liao by his side. They'll have the tough task of taking down the
Kent Denver (Cherry Hills Village) duo of
Jack Domich and
Casey Klutznick, last year's runners-up. The young
Grand Junction duo of
Christian Tuttle and
Evan Severs also come in looking to surprise a few teams after going 5-2 in the regular season.
No. 2 DoublesThe Cheyenne Mountain team of
Carver Ward and
Miles Hoover might just have the perfect blend of experience and drive to make a little noise. The duo was undefeated as a team in regular-season play and clinched a regional title. Getting through the first match can be tricky against
Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs).
Caleb Trevillian has moved up from No. 3 doubles for the Thunder, and he and
Grant Thurman will try to play spoiler. The
Denver South junior duo of
Wyatt Schmitt and
Cade Schiveley can certainly do some damage if they get to the second day. They went 8-2 together on the year.
No. 3 DoublesAfter not qualifying in the position at last year's state tournament, the
Colorado Academy team of
Michael Ford and
Hudson Parks hope they can play their way to a state championship.
Durango has a chance at a doubles title here, as
Hays Stritikus and
Leo Stritikus try to leave a family mark on the third doubles bracket.
No. 4 DoublesKent Denver's
Mareks Zeile and
William Writer head into the tournament as the top seed, but a number of teams could make a play toward a gold medal. Among them are
Pueblo County's Ian Gowen and
Jonathan Gonzales and the
Dawson School (Lafayette) team of
Owen Leidich and
George Shehan.