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.)
St. Francis Finishes 1st Finals Title Run in Dominating Fashion
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
October 17, 2021
ANN ARBOR — Minutes after his team clinched its first-ever boy tennis Finals championship, Tommy Puetz was still processing the accomplishment.
“It’s somewhat surreal,” he said. “I was with the team my freshman year, and we finished second that year. It’s pretty surreal to see it all come together, all our hard work in the offseason.”
That it did, and in its 14th try, Traverse City St. Francis went home with a championship trophy after a rain-soaked weekend at the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor Pioneer tennis courts.
St. Francis, the top-ranked team entering the weekend, finished with 34 points, besting 2020 champion Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, which had 27. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian was third, with 19.
The Gladiators entered with No. 1 seeds in six flights.
“It’s tough being the top seed, especially for high school kids, but they handled the pressure very well,” St. Francis coach Dane Fosgard said. “It's definitely very exciting. This team has worked very hard. For some of them, they've been at it for four years. It’s definitely a huge accomplishment for myself and the team.”
A near all-day rain Friday got the tournament off to a slow start, and Saturday’s matches didn’t begin until almost noon at both Pioneer and U-M, where the tournament was played on the outdoor courts before it was moved inside after dark.
“It’s my 40th year of coaching, and I’ve never had a tournament where on the first day we didn’t get at least to the semifinals,” Liggett coach Mark Sobieralski said. “It’s crazy.”
Liggett kept it close until the final rounds.
"Our goal was to get everyone into the semifinals, and see what happens from there,” Sobieralski said, “We got everyone into the semis, and lost a couple of close ones.”
But in the end, St. Francis, which topped the state coaches poll all season, was not to be denied.
“They were just ready,” Liggett senior captain Jake Tomlinson said. “They were hungry to win that state title, because they really wanted it last year and we beat them. They were really upset about it, and all year they were grinding to get to this point.”
The Gladiators got into a groove when No. 1 singles player Grant Hedley returned from an injury.
“When he came back, our team really turned it around,” said Puetz. “We played a lot of good competition through September, a lot of D-1 and D-2 schools, which really prepares us a lot for the state meet.”
Puetz, who started playing tennis in middle school, is the Gladiator whose primary sport isn’t tennis. (It’s golf).
“All of these guys put in so much work in the offseason to reach this point,” he said., “It all pays off.
“I started playing because I got free candy for winning,” he recalled, smiling. “And now here I am, a state champion.”
And, Puetz said, despite a long day Saturday, the wait was worth it.
“Ten thousand percent,” he said.
At No. 1 singles, Grand Rapids West Catholic senior Andrew Solarewicz took the final step with his first championship after finishing runner-up at the top flight in 2020. He defeated Liggett’s Sebastian Courtright 6-1, 6-2, in the final. Solarewicz gave up only eight games total this weekend over eight sets and fourth wins.
St. Francis benefitted from championships at No. 2 singles from Tristan Bonanni, No. 3 from Owen Jackson, and No. 4 from Chris Bobrowski; and from doubles flights at No. 1 from Cody Richards and Ben Schmude, No. 2 from Jack Britten and Anthony Spranger, and No. 3 from Charlie King and Derek Berta.
Hudsonville Unity Christian’s Cam Dykstra and Cory Mitchell were the title winners at No. 4.
PHOTOS Traverse City St. Francis’ Chris Bobrowski celebrates as his team moves toward clinching its first Finals team championship. (Middle) Unity Christian serves during Saturday’s final rounds. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)