DCDS Claims D3 in Record-Tying Fashion
October 20, 2012
By Alan Babbitt
Special to Second Half
GRAND RAPIDS - Max Fliegner served up a memorable first experience with high school tennis.
One of the nation's top young players helped Detroit Country Day repeat as MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 champion on Saturday, winning his No. 1 singles flight to lead a Yellow Jackets domination of the two-day tournament.
Country Day matched Ann Arbor Pioneer's Michigan High School Athletic Association all-division record (set in 2002) with 39 points. The Yellow Jackets won seven of eight flights and finished eight points ahead of runner-up St. Joseph.
"I've never experienced that before. It's great being on a team," said Fliegner, who was homeschooled before enrolling at Country Day this fall. "I played a ton of USTA tournaments. Nothing I've ever done feels (this) good mainly because of the team atmosphere. Everyone's watching.
"To come through like that, we did great. We've got a ton of good players on one team."
Fliegner, a junior, wrapped up his first high school season by winning his title match 7-5, 6-4 over sixth-seeded Jan Krakora of Plainwell. He entered this fall ranked No. 19 in the United States Tennis Association Under-16 rankings.
Krakora, the lowest seed in the tournament to reach a title match, is an exchange student from the Czech Republic. He enjoyed his first experience with American tennis.
"It is really nice," Krakora said. "I didn't how big the state tournament is. It's really, really good guys. I'm happy I'm runner-up. I think I really played well in the finals. This is a really good experienced for me."
St. Joseph finished team runner-up for the second consecutive season. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood took third with 25 points. East Grand Rapids (18) and Grand Rapids Christian (16) rounded out the top five.
St. Joseph's Kenny Garstecki spoiled Country Day's bid for a perfect tournament by rallying in the No. 4 singles final for a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over top-seeded Max Shanbron.
"It means a lot to us," Garstecki said of finishing second. "We would like to win, but at least they didn't sweep."
The third-seeded Garstecki avenged a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Shanbron earlier this season. Garstecki also won a three-setter during the semifinals.
"It feels good, a huge sense of accomplishment," Garstecki said. "I played him in my third match. I thought I could turn that match around, and that's why I did. I improved my ability to push him back, to keep him from being aggressive."
The Yellow Jackets held their top seed in every other flight.
Country Day coach Josh Molino was pleased with how his team handled the tournament moving indoors to Riverview Athletic Center and a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. It moved from Holland Christian High School because of wet playing conditions.
"It's late in the season now. Weather is a big factor," Molino said. "When we got here today, the guys were sitting around a little bit, but with any sport, you've got to be ready to roll with the punches. We understand we're here for one reason - to play tennis - whether it's inside, outside or underground
"We feel if we work hard enough, we can match up pretty well with anybody."
At No. 2 singles, Country Day's seeded Sven Kranz won his flight with a 6-1, 6-3 decision over St. Joseph's Thomas Bellio in the championship match. Kranz, the 2011 state runner-up at No. 1 singles, completed an undefeated season.
At No. 3 singles, Country Day's Rishi Patel repeated as champ in the flight by defeating Cranbrook-Kingswood's Will Dube 6-1, 6-0 in the final.
In doubles play, Country Day won every final in two sets. At No. 1, Alex Gruskin and Patrick Adams recorded a 6-2, 7-6 (5) finals win over St. Joseph's Mike Kincaid and Matt VanWinkle. Gruskin and Adams each won doubles titles last season in different flights.
Country Day's No. 2 doubles team of Max Lee and Lorenz Ghan topped St. Joseph's Ryan Teich and Jared Kuntz 6-3, 6-2 in the championship match. At No. 3, Country Day's Blake Burnstein and Rishabh Nayak defeated St. Joseph's Sam Singler and Ed Nieh 6-3, 6-1. Burnstein won a doubles title with a different partner in 2011.
The No. 4 flight saw Country Day's Matt Stebbins and D.J. Bailey beat St. Joseph's Eric Miller and Nick Stants 6-2, 6-3 for the championship.
Molino said Saturday provided a great cap to his team's awesome season. Country Day went undefeated during the regular season and claimed a Regional title. The YellowJackets also earned their third team MHSAA Finals championship in four years.
"Our goal at the beginning of the year was to get better each match. We had a lot of guys come through," Molino said. "I was really proud of Max. It was a tough loss - a lot of pressure on him - but he had a great season. The only thing I ask for is to fight for every point, and he did.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Country Day's Lorenz Ghan returns a shot Saturday during a No. 2 doubles match. (Middle) The Yellow Jackets pose with their team championship trophy. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Embracing Expectation, Top-ranked Cranbrook Claims D3 Title by Single Point
October 25, 2025
MIDLAND – Pressure comes with being a favorite. It also provides an opportunity.
That’s how Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood viewed this weekend’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals at Midland Tennis Center. The Cranes entered as the No. 1-ranked team and didn’t bend under pressure, neither of that expectation or when Detroit Country Day pressed them through the final round of the tournament.
Both teams advanced all eight flights to Saturday’s semifinals, and Country Day actually ended up with one more flight winner. But Cranbrook sent two more flights into those title-deciding matches, the difference in edging the Yellowjackets 34-33 to take back the championship – the Cranes’ second in three seasons – and after finishing third to co-champs Country Day and Ann Arbor Greenhills a year ago.
“We’ve had many tough moments this year and a lot of positive moments as well,” said senior Jace Bernard, who finished runner-up at No. 1 singles. “And both of those, especially the negative moments, have helped us get to our top level that we know has allowed us to become state champs.”
Cranbrook advanced to championship matches at seven flights with top-seeded senior Kenneth Hu at No. 3 singles, top-seeded junior Josh Day at No. 4, and top-seeded sophomore Dylan Popat and junior Andy Yu at No. 4 doubles claiming championships.
Country Day advanced five flights to title deciders, with four champions – top-seeded sophomore Ricky Jeong at No. 1 singles, top-seeded freshman Samuel Kole-James at No. 2, fourth-seeded senior Charlie Khaghany and junior Preston Blum at No. 1 doubles and fourth-seeded senior Rick Nie and freshman Shiv Kumar at No. 2 doubles.
Holland Christian certainly impacted the championship race as well. The Maroons – last season’s champions at Division 4 – finished third with 26 points, with second-seeded junior Eli Whitmore and senior Evan Disselkoen winning the No. 3 doubles championship and two other flights finishing runners-up.
“There was a lot of parity this year in our division. But we had the deepest team, and ultimately I think that depth is what got us over the hump to the victory,” Cranbrook coach Steve Herdoiza said. “It’s just nice as a coach to see it all come together. … They really worked as hard as they could, and I think they saw the fruits of that effort come today, and they really did play their best tennis today.”
Country Day’s Jeong claimed the No. 1 singles title after winning the No. 3 championship last year as a freshman. He faced a familiar opponent in the final – Bernard, who he defeated for that No. 3 flight title in 2024 – and won the matchup this time 6-1, 6-3.
Hu, meanwhile, won the No. 2 singles championship last season before adding his second championship Saturday at No. 3.
Cranbrook, Country Day and Greenhills have combined to win every Division 3 Finals team title since 2008, and Greenhills finished fourth this time with 23 points as those four teams put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
“Today could have (gone) any way. DCD could have gotten it, Greenhills could have gotten it, Holland Christin which was a severe underdog, could have gotten it as well,” Hu said. “At the end, it came down to how this team is shaped.
“At the beginning of the season, our team wasn’t as high of a level as we are currently. But that’s how every season goes. We start low, a little shaky with the form and bonding. But as the season progresses, the bond deepens. And everyone feels closer, and it’s just a big family here. I think this is what made us come over the top today.”
(PHOTOS by High School Sports Scene.)