Same Score, New Champion: Country Day Takes Back D3 Title by Single Point
October 17, 2026
MIDLAND – Detroit Country Day sophomore Samuel Kole-James didn’t know what was on the line as he navigated a three-set match to complete Saturday’s No. 2 singles bracket at Midland Tennis Center.
But he knew what he had to do to get the job done – and his repeat championship at that flight did a whole lot more for the Yellowjackets.
Kole-James claimed a second-straight title at No. 2 singles – coming back after losing the first set 6-2 to take the next two 7-5 and 7-6(4) – and in doing so scored the clinching point as Country Day pushed past rival Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 34-33 at the top of the standings to retake the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals championship.
A year ago, Cranbrook unseated then-reigning co-champion Country Day by the same score.
“I was telling myself to stay positive and just keep in the match,” Kole-James said of his comeback. “But really, I was just hanging in there, just a few more points.
“Nothing (was working) in the first set, and everything after 6-2, 5-2, was working. I’m not going to lie. I could feel the ball. I could feel my game.”
With the exception of Ann Arbor Greenhills entering the mix the last several seasons by sharing the Division 3 title in 2024 and winning it outright in 2022 and 2019, Country Day and Cranbrook have otherwise finished first or second in some order every other season over the last 13.
The Yellowjackets this weekend also secured flight championships from freshman Nicholas Nadjarian at No. 4 singles and sophomore Sasha Kebl and junior Sebastian Shah at No. 4 doubles. Cranbrook won three flights as well.
“I know every time with them it’s a battle, it’s a war, it’s a 50-50,” Country Day coach Nicholas Fiaschetti said. “I feel like our minds today were just on it, and I think that’s the difference for us – our minds were able to focus up when we needed it the most.”
Cranbrook’s flight championships came at No. 1 singles from freshman Jacob Yang, No. 3 singles from junior Eli Rosen, and No. 1 doubles from seniors Ryan VanDyke and Josh Day.
Yang’s clincher admittedly was a stunner, as he held on to defeat 2025 No. 1 singles champ Ricky Jeong 7-6, 3-6, 6-1. The Yellowjackets’ junior had defeated Yang “badly” the first three times they’d faced each other.
“I can’t believe it. I didn’t think I’d get to this position,” Yang said. “It’s just my team – thank you to my teammates over there. They really supported me through everything. They cheered for every point I won. It’s super helpful. … I’m super grateful for them.”
Ann Arbor Greenhills senior Deven Pimputkar and junior Evan Chung won No. 2 doubles, and Holland Christian seniors Jonathan Haig and Carter Leep emerged as fourth seeds to win No. 3 doubles.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s tennis team celebrates clinching the Division 3 championship Saturday at Midland Tennis Center. (Middle) Cranbrook’s Jacob Yang sends a forehand at No. 1 singles. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
GNC Champ Escanaba Hoping to Serve Up More History
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
June 2, 2021
ESCANABA — Fourteen years have passed since the Escanaba boys were last crowned Upper Peninsula tennis champions.
The Eskymos, fresh from earning their first Great Northern Conference title since 2003, will try to change that at today’s U.P. Division 1 Finals at Negaunee.
“We have a very nice opportunity ahead of us,” said fifth-year coach Tom Penegor. “We just went through a tough GNC meet (May 27 at Marquette). We’re hoping that will give us an edge in the U.P. Finals. I think we have some momentum.”
Standing in the way is five-time reigning champ Negaunee.
“They’ll be tough, and Marquette has good singles players,” said Penegor. “The other schools also have some good players. There’s pressure out there, and everybody responds to that differently. The game is just as much mental as physical. The scoring system is different from the GNC. You need every single point.”
The Eskymos have an all-junior singles lineup with Gunner Dlugas holding a 14-5 record at No. 1. Filling out singles are Shawn Beauchamp (13-7) at No. 2, Nathan Howes (15-3) at No. 3 and Connor Smale (10-2) at No. 4.
“It felt great to win the GNC,” said Dlugas, who among latest improvements to his game has made the transition from a two-handed to a one-handed backhand shot. “We hadn’t won the GNC since I was born. Four of us have played for two years, and the rest of the guys are first-year players. We’re a fresh team, and that’s why this is so important for us. We have a lot of No. 1 seeds and we’re definitely improving, which gives us a pretty good feeling going into the Finals. I think we’re ready to go.”
Also part of today’s lineup are senior Ryan Moreau and junior Viktor Pospisil, an exchange student from Mladá Boleslov in the Czech Republic, who together are 10-2 at No. 1 doubles.
“I wasn’t supposed to play tennis, but I started playing with the guys at first, then decided to join the team,” said Popisil. “I had been playing in my hometown in Europe and appreciate having the opportunity to play here. I didn’t think we’d be this good at the beginning of the season, but everything kind of progressed as the season went on. We’ve been coming together as a team.”
Moreau said he truly enjoys playing with his partner.
“Viktor’s a great player, and we’ve become great friends,” he added. “All the players from the other schools come up and talk to him.
“I’m real excited about the Finals. Negaunee has a great program. We’re coming in as kind of an underdog. We definitely have to play our game and take the title away from them. If we do that, we should take it.”
Junior Isaac Maki and sophomore Dawson Williams fill the No. 2 flight.
“This experience has been awesome,” said Williams. “I learned a lot about tennis and made a lot of new friends. This is actually my first high school sport. Our first match (this season) against Menominee was exciting. I didn’t know how it was going to go, but I thought we performed beyond expectations.
“Negaunee as a great team, and West Iron County is very good. I thank God for giving me the strength to play at a high level and Coach, my teammates and parents for all their encouragement and support. Winning the GNC gave us a boost going into the Finals.”
Joining them in the doubles lineup are seniors Tanner McDonald and Jordan Nance (13-1) at No. 3 and senior Brayden Roberts and junior Joe Hubert at No. 4.
Should the Eskymos prevail today, it would mark the first time they’d have won the GNC and U.P. Finals in the same year since 1999.
“We had four practices before the U.P. Finals,” said Penegor. “After the GNC meet, we asked the guys if they wanted to practice over the weekend and they decided they wanted to do that.
“Our team has worked hard, and our assistant coaches (Chris Ogren and Alan Adams) have been a tremendous asset to our team this year.”
Tennis is a self-supporting program at Escanaba, and Penegor said one of the reasons he took over after retiring from the city was out of love for the sport.
“We appreciate the support of our sponsors, and the parents have driven us to some of the meets,” said Penegor. “They’ve also been big supporters of our team.
“We started with four seniors. It’s nice to have a mixture of younger kids with our seniors. This is definitely the best mix we’ve had in my five years as coach. We stress to the kids the importance of having fun, making improvements and working on their game.”
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS: (Top) Escanaba’s Ryan Moreau returns a volley this season against Ishpeming Westwood. (Middle) The Eskymos celebrate their Great Northern Conference championship. (Top photo courtesy of the Escanaba Daily Press; middle photo courtesy of the Escanaba athletic department.)