East Region singles players roll into state semifinals

The East Region boys singles players put together one of the most dominant first rounds at the North Dakota state tennis tournament in recent years.

The East Region was just two games away from sweeping all eight first-round matches.

The East did go 7-1 and has all four semifinalists.

Defending state champion Logan Sandberg will play Grand Forks Central teammate Ryder McDonald in the first semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Fargo Shanley's Kai Pierce will play West Fargo Sheyenne's Ethan Raan in the other semifinal. Sandberg beat Pierce last week in the East Region championship.

Sandberg is attempting to become Central's first back-to-back singles champion since Charlie Paukert in 2003 and 2004.

The lone West Region victory in the first round of singles was Mason Haugenoe of Williston edging Sheyenne's Kasen Baer 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Two Grand Forks doubles teams are in the semifinals.

Central's Evan Panzer and Cole Wilber rolled to the final four, while Red River's Espen Schneider and Saylor Kuenzel dropped just a single game in reaching the semifinals.

Wilber and Panzer will take on Anthony Janes and Jay Moylan of Bismarck Legacy at 11 a.m. in one semifinal. Schneider and Kuenzel will take on Zachary and Aidan Diehl of Minot in the other.

At Choice Health & Fitness, Friday

Singles

First round

Logan Sandberg, GFC, over Joe Kalb, BL, 6-0, 6-1; Jake McCormick, FD, over Tyler Wahl, BHS, 6-1, 6-3; Ryder McDonald, GFC, over Gabe Hanson, BHS, 6-0, 6-0; Ethan Heiden, WF, over Hunter Rice, Min, 6-4, 6-4; Kai Pierce, Shan, over Josh Hegstad, Min, 6-0, 6-0; Kellen Johnson, RR, over Jared Pitcher, BC, 6-4, 6-2; Ethan Raan, WFS, over Beau Zander, BC, 7-5, 6-2; Mason Haugenoe, Will, over Kasen Baer, WFS, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

Quarterfinals

Sandberg over McCormick 6-0, 6-1; McDonald over Heiden 6-1, 5-2 (def.); Pierce over Johnson 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Raan over Haugenoe 6-1, 6-3

Consolation

First round

Wahl over Kalb 6-2, 6-4; Rice over Hanson def.; Pitcher over Hegstad 6-0, 6-1; Baer over Zander 6-1, 1-6, 6-3

Second round

Johnson over Wahl 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Haugenoe over Rice 6-4, 6-0; McCormick over Pitcher 6-3, 7-5; Baer over Heiden 6-1, 6-0

Doubles

First round

Cole Wilber-Evan Panzer, GFC, over Brayden Ruff-Gage Martell, BL, 6-0, 6-1; Noah Christensen-William Solberg, WFS, over Colby Opp-Grayson Schaeffer, Min, 6-1, 6-3; Seth Zeltinger-Kai Kringlie, VC, over Isaiah Koch-Adam Vasichek, BHS, 6-0, 6-0; Anthony Janes-Jay Moylan, BL, over Tyler Anderson-Nicholas Salonen, Shan, 6-2, 6-1; Espen Schneider-Saylor Kuenzel, RR, over Colby Nehring-Braylon Higgs, Will, 6-0, 6-0; Karter Hatzenbuhler-Brady Helbling, Man, over Will Johnson-Brad Flaten, GFC, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-4; Gage Orr-Mason Lunzman, Jam, over James Simle-Askew/Logan Sullivan, FD, 6-4, 6-2; Zach Diehl-Aidan Diehl, Min, over Garrett Tostenson-Nick Webb, FN, 7-6 (5), 6-0

Quarterfinals

Wilber-Panzer over Christensen-Solberg 6-2, 6-0; Moylan-Janes over Zeltinger-Kringlie; Schneider-Kuenzel over Hatzenbuhler-Helbling 6-0, 6-1; Diehl-Diehl over Orr-Lunzman 6-2, 6-1

Consolation

First round

Opp-Schaeffer over Ruff-Martell 6-0, 6-0; Anderson-Salonen over Koch-Vasichek 6-0, 6-2; Johnson-Flaten over Nehring-Higgs 6-1, 6-1; Simle-Askew/Sullivan over Tostenson-Webb 6-2, 6-0

Second round

Hatzenbuhler-Helbling over Opp-Schaeffer 6-4, 6-1; Orr-Lunzman over Anderson-Salonen 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Christensen-Solberg over Johnson-Flaten 6-0, 6-0