Seaholm Caps Tennis Finals with D2 Repeat, Crosby Concludes Perfect Run at No. 1
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
October 24, 2026
MIDLAND – By the time the sun dented the dense fog at the Midland Tennis Center on Saturday, Birmingham Seaholm had accumulated enough points to repeat as MHSAA Lower Division 2 tennis champion.
Seaholm finished the two-day tournament with 35, followed by Midland Dow with 25 and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern at 24.
The Maples were in a three-way battle for the top spot heading into the flight semifinals, leading with 24 points, followed by Forest Hills Northern with 21 and Dow with 20.
And all three teams were familiar with hoisting the trophy. FHN has won three of the last seven Division 2 team titles, its most recent in 2024, and Dow’s championship in 2023 was the most recent of its eight total since 2009.
“We try to prepare ourselves for anything that we’ll face here,’’ said Seaholm’s Carter Griffith, the team’s No. 1 singles player. “When everyone is gunning for us, we rise to that occasion. We focus on ourselves and not the outside noise.”
Said senior Kalil Wahab, who paired with freshman Hunter Helfman at No. 1 doubles: “Every team we went out and played, especially in the regular season, really went after us. You could tell their level rose when they were playing us. No matter what team we played, rather they were in our division or not.’’
Wahab and Helfman clinched their flight title with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 victory over Byron Center’s Brayden and Brody Slot. Seaholm’s victory lap started at No. 4 doubles with Deven Badhwar and Ryan McArdle defeating Byron Center’s Colten King and Jonah Wiechertjes, 6-0, 6-3.
“The start of the season was tough for us to get the spot,’’ said Badhwar. “We’ve been playing together since we were 8. I’m glad we could do it as seniors. We got what we wanted.’’
Said McArdle: “There’s no one else I’d rather win with. We had chemistry from the start.’’
Seaholm’s No. 2 doubles pair of Arhen Gupta and Kyle Car defeated Dow’s top-seeded Ethan Clark and Jashwanth Thamminana 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 to claim that flight. The Maples also captured No. 4 singles with freshman Luke Janz downing Jayden Qi of Forest Hills Northern, 6-4, 7-5. Carter Griffith’s brother, Charlie Griffith, captured No. 3 singles with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Dow’s Raymond Chai.
Dow claimed the No. 3 doubles title, with Vettel Xu and Zander Salisbury besting Davis Gryzenia and Weston Jerabek of Grosse Pointe South, 7-5, 6-2.
South Lyon East senior Mason Crosby clinched No. 1 singles against Carter Griffith with a 6-1, 6-2 victory. He had finished No. 1 singles runner-up last fall, and his four victories this weekend advanced his record to 30-0 to finish the season.
“I thought I had control of the match; it got a little tight at the end,’’ said Crosby. “I was doing whatever it took. If I had to come to the net, I would. If I had to sit back and grind it, I did that.’’
Forest Hills Northern freshman Andrew Yang won No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-2 over top-seeded Chase Martin of Dow.
PHOTOS (Top) Birmingham Seaholm’s Kalil Wahab and Hunter Helfman celebrate their championship at No. 1 doubles Saturday at Midland Tennis Center. (Middle) South Lyon East’s Mason Crosby moves into position during his No. 1 singles championship match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Bay City John Glenn focused on Fun with Goals Accomplished, Legacy Secure
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
October 16, 2024
JT Breen and his Bay City John Glenn tennis teammates already have achieved all the goals they set for themselves this season.
The Bobcats won the Tri-Valley Conference title. They won the Bay County title. They even accomplished the goal that seemed most far-fetched at the time: Becoming the first John Glenn boys tennis team to qualify for the MHSAA Finals – they made the Lower Peninsula Division 3 field that will play Friday and Saturday at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
So now what?
“The goal for me (this weekend) is to play as many games as I can and have fun playing those games,” said Breen, a senior who plays No. 2 singles for John Glenn. “The legacy I want to leave is helping everyone know that the gift of playing tennis is a gift in and of itself. Having fun is the most important part of the game, and I think that’s something I’ve tried to cement into the younger players.”
John Glenn has had plenty of fun in what coach Kevin Miller called a “season dreams are made of,” and no matter the results at Cranbrook, that’s going to continue.
Not because the Bobcats don’t care about winning. But because having fun with one another on and off the court is just what they do.
“We just want to go out there and end our senior year for tennis on a good note,” said senior Nick Naylor, who plays No. 3 doubles with senior Will Gallagher. “We want to have fun with it, and not worry much about what happens. Honestly, I want to win, but it’s just amazing that we got here.”
Led by six seniors, John Glenn placed third at their Regional, also held at Cranbrook, to qualify for the Finals. Miller admitted he wasn’t sure if that would be enough to get his team to championship weekend, and the Bobcats left the tennis courts that day unsure. They had finished with 13 points, behind champion Cranbrook and Goodrich, and two points ahead of Auburn Hills Avondale, St. Clair and Clio.
It wasn’t until Lee Thompson of MLive contacted Miller for an interview later that night that he became aware. And for some Bobcats, it wasn’t until that story published that they knew.
“Our captain (Breen) said something about it in the middle of the season, and we kind of looked at him like, ‘Yeah right, keep dreaming,’” senior No. 4 singles player Lance Neigh said. “In the middle of the season, I didn’t think we were going to get there. Even now, it’s kind of surreal.”
Neigh joined the program as a sophomore, while four of his classmates – Breen, Owen LaCourt (No. 3 singles), Collin Meyer (No. 2 doubles) and Will Gallagher (No. 3 doubles) – are in their fourth year.
Senior number six, Nick Naylor, is in his first season and playing No. 3 doubles along with Gallagher. A three-year varsity baseball player, Naylor said he hadn’t picked up a racket in nearly five years before Gallagher convinced him to play. He’s taken to the game quickly, though, and he and Gallagher advanced to the Regional Final. While Miller and Breen marveled at Naylor’s ability to translate his baseball experience and athleticism to tennis, Naylor added that the chemistry he and Gallagher have from years of friendship also played a big role.
“We’re not afraid to call each other out or bring each other up,” he said. “We’re not afraid to talk to each other. We can have a good conversation when we’re down and get back up and forget about it.”
Sophomore Thomas Dwan is at No. 1 singles for the Bobcats, while junior David Ferrio and freshman Jack Pfifer are at No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Patrick Dwan plays No. 2 doubles with Meyer, and the No. 4 doubles team is made up of junior Dylan Werner and sophomore Corbin Sanborn.
So, while half the team will move on after this season, the well is far from dry for the Bobcats. Add in a group of 45 middle school players who have been practicing under the direction of Miller and several of his boys and girls varsity players, and the future is actually pretty bright.
“Honestly, I think it’s pretty inspiring,” Meyer said. “When I came in freshman year, we barely had enough for a varsity team. There’s so many people interested in playing tennis right now, I think it’s amazing. I’m happy to be able to help out and give them what I know.”
Their goals are accomplished, and they’re helping build the future of the program. You can see why this weekend, the Bobcats aren’t focused on results, but on enjoying every point they get to play.
“There’s not many more accolades these guys can do,” Miller said. “We’re going to go to states and do the best we can. But they’ve already left their legacy.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS (Top) The Bay City John Glenn boys tennis team shows off its newly-won Bay County championship trophy this season. (Middle) Seniors Nick Naylor and Will Gallagher have teamed up to form a Regional runner-up pair at No. 3 doubles. (Photos courtesy of the Bay City John Glenn boys tennis program.)