Lumen Christi Nets Historic Team Title, Lansing Catholic's West Adds to Family Haul
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
October 22, 2026
MIDLAND – Fueled by a runner-up finish a year ago, Jackson Lumen Chisti captured its first MHSAA Finals boys tennis championship Thursday at the Midland Tennis Center.
The Titans finished the two-day Lower Peninsula Division 4 tournament with 24 points, while Ludington rallied to tie Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett for second with 20.
Lumen Christi had six contenders reach the semifinals out of eight flights.
“We came up short last year, but we had a lot of guys coming back,’’ said senior Maden Brady, part of the No. 2 doubles runner-up with sophomore Theo McEldowney. “We made each guy accountable. You had to attend every practice.
“The boys put in so much work. The motivation came from last year, for sure.’’
The team navigated some challenges throughout the season. With no home courts this fall, Lumen Christi played at Spring Arbor University and Jackson High School.
“Our courts were being redone, so we couldn’t even practice at the school,’’ said Shayan Challapalli, a first-year varsity performer who teamed with Gurmilan Singh to win No. 4 doubles. “Sometimes the buses would forget to pick us up. We’ve put in the work. The coaches are great. We’ve been disciplined.”
Ludington had the top seeds – and eventual champions – at Nos. 2, 3 and 4 singles. Senior Oliver Kolb won at No. 2, senior Tyler Keillor took the bracket at No. 3 and senior Ryder Saya placed first at No. 4.
“We have a lot of dedicated guys,’’ Keillor said. “We all just had a common goal, and we worked for that. The whole offseason we worked as hard as we could. It’s difficult to play in the offseason because we don’t have indoor courts, but we find the time.’’
Saya dropped only two games during the entire tournament, claiming his title with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Levi Lamb of Maple City Glen Lake. Saya was unseeded and lost his only match at No. 4 with Ludington playing in Division 3 a year ago.
“I’d be out hitting at midnight,’’ Saya said of his offseason preparation. “After last year, I knew I had to put in the work. There was no skipping practice or taking the day off. I knew I had to do something different this year, and it worked.’’
The Titans’ clinching match Thursday came at No. 3 doubles as Harrison Botke and Vincent Tran defeated Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian’s top-seeded Loan Spangler and Noah Koppenhofer, 6-4, 6-3.
“I moved here from Oklahoma, and the guys took me in right away,’’ Tran said. “I love Lumen Christi, and I love being here.’’
Most of the Titans’ tennis athletes also play hockey.
“Forehand, slap shot; they all work together,’’ said Botke, one of those who hits the ice during the winter.
Lansing Catholic senior Noah West captured the No. 1 singles title with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Mateus Pimentel of Goodrich.
Twenty-five years ago, his uncle Kevin Borzenski captured the Division 3 No. 1 singles title for Lansing Catholic on the way to playing at Pepperdine.
“I had never played (Pimentel) before, so I had to figure some things out,’’ said West. “I felt like I was able to grind out more points, and I eased into it and found a way to attack.’’
Kolb won No. 2 singles with a 7-6 (-7-3), 7-5 victory over Edwin Seo of Berrien Springs, and Keillor defeated Justin Platt of Liggett 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 to clinch at No. 3.
Grandville Calvin Christian’s No. 1 doubles team of Matthew Brenzing and John Oliver captured their flight title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Liggett’s David Ford and Charlie Laethem.
Liggett’s Lucas Ferguson and Ian Moya captured No. 2 doubles, defeating the top-seed Brady and McEldowney, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0. No. 4 doubles saw the Titans’ Singh and Challapalli prevail over Grand Rapids North Pointe’s Ollie Pierpont and Stennson Shatto, 7-5, 6-4.
PHOTOS (Top) Jackson Lumen Christi's Shayan Challapalli hammers a forehand during his and partner Gurmilan Singh's championship match Thursday at No. 4 doubles. (Middle) Lansing Catholic's Noah West returns a volley at No. 1 singles. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Duo Share D2 Title, Duo Finishes Perfect Run
October 17, 2015
By Keith Dunlap
Special for Second Half
GRAND BLANC – It might have seemed like a bold proclamation when the boys tennis season started in August, but Portage Central sophomore Bill Duo had a lofty expectation for what he wanted his season to be like.
“I think I was expecting to not drop a set,” Duo said. “If it happened, it happened. But I wasn’t expecting to drop a set. I was playing well.”
Duo’s expectation turned into reality, as he finished off the season by achieving his ambition on the final day of the Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final on Saturday.
Duo capped off his perfect season by not losing a set all year, with the final victory being a 6-4, 6-3 win over Connor Genschaw of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central.
It was the third time this season that Duo defeated Genschaw, this time in a match that started outdoors at Holly High School but was suspended and moved indoors to Genesys Athletic Club when sleet arrived in the middle of the first set.
Duo also played in the No. 1 singles championship match in 2014, but finished runner-up.
“The first time is definitely new territory,” Duo said. “The second time it’s like ‘yeah, I remember this.’ It was different places, but you kind of have to learn from that experience. I had to come out here and play. He played a great match. I was excited. I was pumped for the finals.”
While Duo was the one who celebrated the individual title at the expense of Genschaw, both got to celebrate team success.
Portage Central and Forest Hills Central shared the team MHSAA title with 30 points apiece, three points ahead of third-place Midland Dow.
Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Seaholm and Detroit U-D Jesuit all shared fourth place with 17 points.
Forest Hills Central also was champion in 2014, while Portage Central’s title was its first since 2001.
A big storyline of the tournament was weather, which wreaked a lot of havoc on both days of the event.
Participants had to pack up right in the middle of the action both days and head to Genesys Athletic Club, where they had to warm up again and refocus.
Granted, at the end people might not have minded the move indoors with everyone bundled up in sweatshirts, hats and blankets as they watched the action.
“You don’t (prepare for it),” Portage Central co-coach Erik Anderson said. “You really don’t. We stay focused and talk about getting our mindset. It doesn’t matter where we play; it’s how we play. Just focus on the ball and not the surroundings. It’s everything inside the lines. It doesn’t matter about the fans, spectators or environment. We prefer to play outdoors because there is more elements to the game, but if you come indoors it’s basically skill vs. skill.”
At No. 2 singles, Michael Szabo of Midland Dow defeated Ben Orwin of Portage Central in another match that was in progress outside before being moved indoors, as was the No. 1 doubles match between Portage Central’s Kento Hirakawa and Cameron Raedy and Detroit U-D Jesuit’s tandem of Louis Wyre and Joey Wilson.
That might have been the most entertaining match of the day, with Hirakawa and Raedy finally prevailing, 6-4, 4-6 and 7-5.
Lucas Guy of Portage Central took the title at No. 3 singles with a 6-3, 6-2 win over top-seeded Tyler Conrad of Midland Dow, while Jacob Wiltjer of Forest Hills Central topped Aditya Middha of Midand Dow at No. 4 singles, 6-2, 6-3.
The Forest Hills Central team of Justin James and Aidan Rynbrandt won the title at No. 2 doubles with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over J.J. Kirkman and Noah Nichols of Midland Dow, while Tim Spurlin and Jack Ziegler of Forest Hills Central won the No. 3 doubles crown with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 win over Brian McHale and Josh Belfer of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern.
Finally, Peyton Herbert and Mike Battiste of Forest Hills Central won the No. 4 doubles title with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Andrew Dicks and Scott Anthony of Forest Hills Northern.
PHOTOS: (Top) Portage Central and Forest Hills Central players pose together with the MHSAA championship trophy. (Middle) Portage Central's Bill Duo prepares to serve during his No. 1 singles final. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)