Long known as ground zero for high school tennis talent, the recently completed Class 2A, Section 6 singles tournament was particularly noteworthy this season.
The semifinals consisted of four players ranked in the top 10 in the final coaches association state rankings: No. 5 Max Olson of Edina, No. 6 Manfred Barrios of Hopkins, No. 7 Jesse Sprinkel of Minneapolis South and No. 9 Nick Beaty of Wayzata.
It was a foursome worthy of a state tournament bracket, said Bloomington Jefferson assistant tennis coach Lynn Larson, whose son Tim opted to play doubles to avoid that gauntlet.
"As I sat and watched the semifinals, I had to keep telling myself that this wasn't the state tourney, it was the semifinals of the section," Larson said. "A shame so many good players don't make it. Precisely why Tim opted for doubles."
Sprinkel, the No. 1 seed, defeated Olson in three sets while Barrios, seeded No. 2, downed Beaty. Barrios went on to defeat Sprinkel 6-4, 6-3 for the championship.
Sprinkel then was forced to play Beaty, who defeated Olson in a losers' bracket match, to determine a runner-up to advance to this week's state tournament.
In the third match of the day for both, Beaty, a sophomore, defeated Sprinkel, a junior, 6-4, 6-3 to earn the section's second state tournament berth.
All-Star softball
Twelve west-metro players are among the 72 seniors selected to play in the 26th Annual Minnesota High School All-Star Girls' Softball Series on June 8 at Caswell Park in North Mankato, site of the upcoming state high school tournament.
Playing in the games will be Jessamine Von Arx, Minnehaha Academy; Maggie and Ellie Rizor, Delano; Megan Bode, Rockford; Callie Haakana, Mound Westonka; Becky Smith and Hannah Bergh, Orono; Kylie Macziewski, Bloomington Jefferson; Jordan Mauch and Sarah Southorn, Maple Grove; Amanda Salentine, Chanhassen, and Abby Eckland, Edina.
Worth noting
Tamba Johnson, the boys' coaching director for the Minneapolis United Soccer Club, was hired as the new boys' soccer coach at Blake. Johnson has spent the past four years as the head coach at Minneapolis South.
