By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Another year, another state championship for the Carmel boys tennis team.
Every state title seems to be special for the Greyhounds, and this one is no exception. Top-ranked Carmel cruised to its 10th state championship by beating No. 16 Jasper 5-0 in Saturday afternoon’s final at North Central’s Barbara Wynne Tennis Center.
Earlier in the day, the ‘Hounds beat No. 5 Park Tudor 4-1 in the semi-finals. Thus Carmel defended its state title from last year, the fifth time it has done so. The Greyhounds also notched their second perfect season in a row, finishing this year 22-0. Carmel has now won 39 consecutive dual meets.
“I think everyone played pretty well,” said Greyhounds coach Spencer Fields.
All three of Carmel’s singles players cruised to easy wins in both sessions. In a remarkable feat, all three singles players – No. 1 Patrick Fletchall, No. 2 Presley Thieneman and No. 3 Nishanth Basavareddy – finished the year undefeated. Fletchall and Thieneman were 18-0 for the season, while Basavareddy clinched a 20-0 record.
“I think in singles, we played fantastic,” said Fields. “Our singles today, total focus, total energy. Going undefeated in all three singles positions for the whole season, that’s very rare. It’s an awesome achievement.”
“It feels great, especially as a senior,” said Fletchall. “To get this last team state title meant a lot to me and to the team.”
Fletchall will advance to next week’s individual tournament, and will be the top seed by virtue of his status as an undefeated No. 1 singles player from the state championship team.
Carmel’s No. 1 doubles team of Timmy Dixon and Drew Michael finished the season 13-1, losing a tough match to Park Tudor’s Will Emhardt and Drew Weigel (last year’s doubles state runner-up) 7-5, 6-3. But the Greyhounds duo rebounded to win 6-4, 6-2 over Jasper’s Noah Luebbehusen and Noah Mendel.
No. 2 doubles Garrett Lloyd and Uday Lomada toughed out a win over Park Tudor’s team 6-3, 7-5, then easily cruised to victory over their counterparts from Jasper 6-1, 6-0. Lloyd and Lomada were 20-3 for the season.
SEMI-FINAL
Carmel 4, Park Tudor 1
No. 1 singles: Patrick Fletchall def. Aidan Harris 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 singles: Presley Thieneman def. Karchi Ertl 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 singles: Nishanth Basavareddy def. Alex Kim 6-0, 6-0
No. 1 doubles: Timmy Dixon and Drew Michael lost to Will Emhardt and Drew Weigel 7-5, 6-3
No. 2 doubles: Garrett Lloyd and Uday Lomada def. Eli Anderson and Brett Liebross 6-3, 7-5
FINAL
Carmel 5, Jasper 0
No. 1 singles: Patrick Fletchall def. Dawson Hopf 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Presley Thieneman def. Eli Franks 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 singles: Nishanth Basavareddy def. Bennett Schmitt 6-0, 6-2
No. 1 doubles: Timmy Dixon and Drew Michael def. Noah Luebbehusen and Noah Mendel 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Garrett Lloyd and Uday Lomada def. Andrew Hochgesang and Mitch Kluemper 6-1, 6-0
SOUTHEASTERN DOUBLES MAKES STATE
Hamilton Southeastern’s No. 1 doubles team of Mark Slaninka and Andrew Myers qualified for the doubles tournament after winning the Fishers regional on Saturday.
The Royals duo dropped only one game in their two matches, beating Frankfort’s Dylan Smith and Nicolas Kinder 6-0, 6-0 in the semi-finals, then beat Franklin County’s Braydon Ertel and Dylan Little 6-0, 6-1 in the final. The victories gave Slaninka and Myers a 16-9 record for the year.
The individual singles and doubles tournament starts next Friday at Park Tudor.
In singles, Westfield’s Parker Kalis reached the final of the Kokomo regional Saturday. Kalis came from behind to beat Frankton’s Landon Weins 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-final, but lost to Terre Haute South’s Canaan Sellers 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
Kalis finished his season with a 15-9 record.
The Carmel boys tennis team successfully defended its state championship Saturday at North Central’s Barbara Wynne Tennis Center. The Greyhounds beat Jasper 5-0 in the final to claim its 10th state title. (Richie Hall)