Boys Tennis: A near-record seson

Bennett Lagro: MVP and all-Missota Conference

By any measure the 2014 season was a big success for coach Jack Olwell and his Tiger boys' tennis team.

Farmington finished 8-6 in regular season dual meet play, its best mark since 1999, and went 3-4 in the rugged Missota Conference, its best showing in recent years.

"I thought we would be better this year, but I underestimated how much better," Olwell said. "The epiphany came when we beat Simley 6-1. They beat us 7-0 last year with essentially the same team...We took some lumps early but we never lost heart."

Thirteen players and one student manager received varsity letters for their efforts during the weather-plagued 2014 season, including six seniors: Jon Zaksoki, Trent Kortenbusch, Austin Tremmel, Ivan Rodriguez, Jake Spindler and Nicolas Makhoul.

Underclassmen letterwinners included junior Garrett Brown; sophomores Bennett Lagro, Grady Hauswirth, Cooper Ericksen and Anthony Rattana; eighth-grader Jake Bauer; seventh-grader Gavin Renwick and manager Ryan Jara.

Lagro, who manned the demanding No. 1 singles spot all season, earned team MVP honors and landed a spot on the all-Missota Conference squad.

"Bennett was just the fifth Farmington No. 1 singles player player to finish with a .500 record in my 35 year years here," Olwell said, "and the first to be all-conference in the last decade."

Jake Bauer: all-conference honorable mention, Tiger Award winner

Bauer, who played at second singles, was all-conference honorable mention and the recipient of the Tiger Award for positive attitude and work ethic.

Rodriguez, Renwick and Ericksen shared Player of the Year honors. Zakoski, who received Academic All-State distinction, Tremmel and Kortenbusch served as captains of the 2014 squad.

"We had seven players, including all four at singles, finish at or above .500," Olwell said. "You have to go back 21 years to find that, so this was a fine and fun year.

"The best part for me was the degree to which our players were committed to the game and to each other."

Olwell said his seniors will be missed but he expects another quality season in 2015.

"It has been my experience that younger players serve as understudies to the seniors and often fill in admirably," he said.

The Tigers will have to adjust to new opposition next spring with their move to the South Suburban Conference.

"I'm not sure of the competition level there but it looks like it will be pretty stiff," Olwell said.

Boys Tennis: Over and Out

Bennett Lagro went 1-1 at the Section 1AA individual tournament

Farmington's most successful season since 1999 came to an end Thursday afternoon at the opening round of the Section 1AA individual tournament played in Rochester.

The Tigers sent two singles players and two doubles teams to the post-season competition but none advanced to the next step in the ultra-tough section that features some of the best players in Minnesota.

Bennett Lagro provided the only Tiger win of the day with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over the No.1 singles player from Faribault in the opening round before dropping a 2-6, 1-6 decision to Northfield's top player in the second.

"Bennett went to deuce nearly every game and had several opportunities to close out more games," Tiger caoch Jack Olwell said. "I thought he competed well."

Jake Bauer had some early leads in both sets in a 3-6, 3-6 lost to a Northfield opponent in the other Farmignton singles match.

In doubles, the top Tiger tandem of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch fell 1-6, 0-6 and the No. 2 duo of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Ericksen lost 1-6, 1-6.

Boys Tennis: Tigers go quietly in section

Jake Bauer lost in three sets at second singles

Farmington finished the 2014 spring season with its second best dual meet record ever, but the season ended abruptly in the opening round of the Section 1AA tournament with a 7-0 shutout loss at Owatonna.

Tiger coach Jack Olwell said the Huskies were the favorites going in but he thought his team would put up a better battle.

"Unfortunately, we picked a bad time to leave our A game in the bag and our B game was not enough," he said.

Jake Bauer was the only Tiger to stretch the opposition to three sets, losing a 2-6, 7-6 (4), 3-10 verdict at second singles

"Jake looked good for awhile and then would loose momentum," Olwell said. "He came from behind to level the match but dug a deep hole in the super tie-breaker."

Section 1AA individual competition begins next week. Each team will send two singles players and two doubles teams with the winners advancing to state tournament.

Owatonna 7 Farmington 0
1S Bennett Lagro lost 1-6, 2-6
2S Jake Bauer lost 2-6, 7-6 (4), 3-10
3S Ivan Rodriguez lost 3-6, 4-6
4S Jon Zakoski lost 1-6, 3-6 
1D Trent Kortenbusch and Austin Tremmel lost 1-6, 2-6
2D Gavin Renwick and Cooper Ericksen lost 0-6, 3-6
3D Jake Spindler and Garrett Brown lost 4-6, 1-6

Boys Tennis: Shakopee ends Tiger streak

Trent Kortenbusch (above) and Austin Tremmel lost 1-6, 3-6 at first doubles

Missota Conference leader and state-ranked Shakopee brought the Tigers' four-match winning streak to a screeching halt Thursday evening with a 7-0 shutout win in a contest played indoors at the Lifetime Fitness center in Shakopee.

The talented Sabers won all seven matches in straight sets, allowing Farmington (8-6) to win just three games in singles play.

"We competed well against a superior team that was loaded from top to bottom," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "We went after them the best we could, pushing them at the top two doubles spots. I guess it is no surprise they are ranked in the top seven in the state."

The best Farmington performances came at first and second doubles. The Austin Tremmel/Trent Kortenbusch combo lost16, 3-6 at first doubles while the No. 2 tandem of Cooper Ericksen/Grady Hauswirth fell 2-6, 2-6.

Monday the Tigers close out their regular season with a non-conference match against Minnehaha Academy before kicking off Section 1 team play Tuesday afternoon.

Shakopee 7 Farmington 0
1S Bennett Lagro lost 0-6, 0-6
2S Jake Bauer lost 1-6, 1-6
3S Ivan Rodriguez lost 0-6, 0-6
4S Jon Zakoski lost 0-6, 1-6
1D Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch lost 1-6, 3-6
2D Cooper Ericksen and Grady Hauswirth lost 2-6, 2-6
3D Garrett Brown and Jake Spindler lost 1-6, 1-6

Boys Tennis: Another day, another win

Jon Zakosi 6-0, 6-0 winner at No. 4 singles

The Tigers improved to 8-5 for the season with a solid 5-2 Missota Conference win over Chaska Wednesday afternoon at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

The victory was Farmington's third in as many days this week and its seventh in its last eight starts.

"Chaska's cupboard was bare," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "They graduated eight of their 10 starters from last year and had some inexperienced players filling out their line-up.

"We let a match slip away at third doubles but for the most part we took charge and played pretty well."

The Tigers' four singles players--Bennett Lagro, Jake Bauer, Ivan Rodriguez and Jon Zakoski--were dominant. Each won in straight sets, out-pointing the Hawks' lineup by a combined score of 48-4.

The lone Farmington win in doubles came at the No. 2 position where the team of Cooper Ericksen and Gavin Renwick continued its strong play with a 6-1, 6-3 triumph.

The win over Chaska boosted the Tigers' conference record to 3-3 with one league match remaining, a Thursday encounter at Shakopee.

Farmington closes out its regular season Monday with a non-conference clash with Minnehaha Academy and then opens Section 1AA play Tuesday with a home match against an opponent to be determined by seeding.

Farmington 5 Chaska 2
1S Bennett Lagro won 6-0, 6-2
2S Jake Bauer won 6-0, 6-1
3S Ivan Rodriguez won 6-0, 6-1
4S Jon Zakoski won 6-0, 6-0
1D Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch lost 1-6, 1-6
2D Cooper Ericksen and Gavin Renwick won 6-1, 6-3
3D Grady Hauswirth and Jake Spindler lost 6-4, 4-6, 5-10

Boys Tennis: The beat goes on

Ivan Rodriguez didn't lose a game at No. 3 singles

Farmington (7-5)  scored an impressive 6-1 Missota Conference win over Holy Angels Tuesday afternoon at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

The Tigers swept the singles ladder and won two of three doubles matches to pick up their seventh win in their past nine meets. Last spring Farmington won three matches all season.

"I thought we continued to play great tennis," coach Jack Olwell said. "Our improvement during the season has defied logic. You just don't see teams make these sorts of strides in the course of five to six weeks."

The singles wins all came in straight sets. Bennett Lagro, still battling the flu, won at the No. 1 spot 6-2, 7-6 and Jake Bauer, Ivan Rodriguez and Jon Zakoski followed suit.

The doubles wins came at the second and third slots from the tandems of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Ericksen and Garret Brown and Jake Spindler. The Renwick/Ericksen duo won in straight sets while the Spindler/Brown team prevailed in three.

The only loss of the meet came at first doubles where Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch dropped a competitive three-set match.

"This was a you pick 'em match that featured momentum swings both ways," Olwell said. "Unfortunately some bad breaks for us came along near the end."

The Tigers will be looking for season win No. 8 Wednesday when they entertain Missota Conference rival Chaska at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

Farmington 6 Holy Angels 1
1S Bennett Lagro won 6-2, 7-6 (3)
2S Jake Bauer  won 6-0, 6-1
3S Ivan Rodriguez won 6-0, 6-0
4S Jon Zakoski won 6-4, 6-4
1D Trent Kortenbusch and Austin Tremmel lost 3-6, 6-3, 4-6
2D Gavin Renwick and Cooper Ericksen won 6-3, 6-1
3D Jake Spindler and Garrett Brown won 6-1, 5-7, 6-4

Boys Tennis: Six of eight

The Tigers won for the sixth time in their last eight matches

The streaking Tigers won for the sixth time in their last eight outings with a decisive 6-1 non-conference victory over Simley Monday afternoon in Inver Grove Heights.

Farmington (6-5) swept the doubles competition and won three of four singles matches to start a busy final eight days of a compressed regular season.

"Simley had beaten us 7-0 the last two years and it appeared they were expecting the same result," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "Our play has been outstanding recently. We haven't been above .500 in awhile."

Jake Bauer and Jon Zakoksi won in straight sets at second and fourth singles and Ivan Rodriguez ground out a hard-earned three-set win at the the No. 3 spot after falling behind 0-1 after the first set.

"All of the matches were closely contested," Olwell said, "even the ones that appeared one-sided."

In doubles play, the first team  of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch survived after losing the first while the second and third teams of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Ericksen and Grady Hauswirth and Garrett Brown each won handily in two.

Farmington 6 Simley 1
1S Bennett Lagro lost 0-6, 0-6
2S Jake Bauer won 6-4, 6-3
3S Ivan Rodriguez won 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
4S Jon Zakoski won 6-3, 6-1
1D Trent Kortenbusch and Austin Tremmel won 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
2D Cooper Ericksen and Gavin Renwick won 6-4, 6-4
3D Grady and Garrett won 6-3, 6-1

Boys Tennis: Back to .500

Bennett Lagro won at first singles 7-5, 6-0

The Tigers bounced back to the .500 mark (5-5) Friday afternoon with a decisive 7-0 non-conference win at Richfield.

Tiger coach Jack Olwell said it was rewarding post the shutout but he was even more impressed by the way his team played against the Spartans.

"In general we played some awesome tennis," Olwell said. "We had a slugfest at first and second singles and a chess match at fourth singles and first doubles...We are 5-2 in our last seven matches and are hungry for more."

Bennett Lagro had to work overtime to win his first set at No. 1 singles but dominated the second in a 7-5 (5), 6-0 win.

"The tie-breaker was close until Bennett won the last two points on routine errors," Olwell said. "After that it was all Bennett."

Jake Bauer turned in a dominant performance at second singles in winning 6-0, 6-1 and Ivan Rodriguez won in business-like fashion at the third slot, 6-2, 6-3. Jon Zakoski completed the singles sweep with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch needed three sets to prevail at first doubles 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (6).

"They saved two match points with some great play at crunch time," Olwell said. "Those two have really upped their game and are playing smart tennis."

The second doubles tandem of Cooper Ericksen and Gavin Renwick made it two wins in as many days with a solid 6-2, 6-1 victory and the third duo of Grady Hauswirth and Jake Spindler combined for a 6-1, 6-4 triumph.

The Tigers are back on the court Monday with a non-conference match at Simley.

Boys Tennis: Tigers fall to Chan 6-1

Gavin Renwick

Cooper Ericksen

After days without hitting an outdoor shot due to inclement weather the Tigers returned to action Thursday with a 6-1 Missota Conference loss at Chanhassen.

Despite the score coach Jack Olwell seemed please with his team's play after the long lay-off.

"We played well," he said. "Maybe practicing on a gym floor is the key to rapid improvement as we played an excellent match. Each flight outperformed last year's team by a good margin."

The Farmington point came at second doubles where the tandem of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Ericksen teamed up for back-and-forth, three set victory 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

"Both teams played excellent tennis, textbook at time," Olwell said, "Only some great shot-making down the stretch pulled it out for us."

In singles play, Ivan Rodriguez played what Olwell termed "...the finest tennis of his career." in an exciting 4-6, 7-5, 8-10 loss.

"This was an incredible match for Ivan, saving a match point late in the second and forcing the third set super-breaker which came down to the wire," Olwell said.

"The match drew dozens of spectators who were treated to a compelling battle of attacker vs counter-puncher."

Farmington (4-5) will try to get back to the. 500 mark Friday when it travels to Richfield for a non-conference match-up with the Spartans.

Chanhassen 6 Farmington 1
1 singles: Bennett Lagro lost 3-6, 2-6
2 singles: Jake Bauer lost 2-6, 3-6
3 singles: Ivan Rodriguez lost 4-6, 7-5, 8-10
4 singles: Jon Zakoski lost 2-6, 3-6
1 doubles: Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch lost 3-6, 4-6
2 doubles: Gavin Renwick and Cooper Erickson won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
3 doubles: Jake Spindler and Garrett Brown lost 1-6, 1-6

Boys Tennis: A perfect week

Bennett Lagro won in straight sets at No. 1 singles

The Tigers completed a perfect 3-0 week with a solid 6-1 non-conference road win over Faribault Friday afternoon.

In Farmington's (4-4) three-game streak it has outscored Bloomington Kennedy, New Prague and Faribault by a combined 20-1 count.

At Faribault the Tigers swept the singles ladder with Bennett Lagro, Jake Bauer and Ivan Rodriguez each winning in three sets at the first through third positions and Jake Spindler claiming victory by forfeit in the fourth slot.

The No. 2 doubles tandem of of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Erickson and the No. 3 duo of Garrett Brown and Grady Hauswirth each won in straight sets.

The lone Falcon point came at first doubles where Matt Welborn and Logan Gregerson defeated Farmington's Austin Tremmel and Jon Zakoski 6-2, 6-0.

The Tigers will look to make it four straight Monday when they make the short trip to Rosemount for a non-conference match with the Irish.

Boys Tennis: Back-to-back shutouts

Austin Tremmel (above) and Trent Kortenbusch scored a come-from-behind win at No. 1 doubles

Farmington rolled to its second shutout win in as may days with an impressive 7-0 Missota Conference whitewash of New Prague Tuesday afternoon at New Prague.

While the wind whipped around their home courts, calm conditions prevailed in New Prague, providing what coach Jack Olwell said were ideal conditions.

"The weather led to some excellent play, particularly at first doubles where both teams appeared to be at the top of their games," he said. "It was a match that was won rather than lost as both teams played big when the chips were down."

Olwell was referring to the come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4,7-6 (6) win by the duo of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch.

"We  had to save two break points in the tenth game of the second set to level the match," Olwell said."In such a well-played match it was fitting that it came down to a third set tiebreaker and that it went overtime as well. Both Austin and Trent played exceptionally well."

The third doubles team of Gavin Renwick and Cooper Erickson also came from behind to win  4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

The third tandem of Grady Hauswirth and Garrett Brown, playing together for the first time cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

The Farmington singles lineup had its best day of the season, with Bennett Lagro, Jake Bauer, Ivan Rodriguez and Jon Zakoski each winning in straight sets. The Tigers won 48 of the 55 games played in singles.

Farmington will try to make it three straight Friday when it travels to Faribault for a non-conference match.

Boys Tennis: Another small step forward

Jake Spindler (above) and partner Garrett Brown lost at No. 2 doubles

For the second meet in a row the Tigers lost a 6-1 decision to a Missota Conference rival but after Thursday's home court loss to Red Wing veteran coach Jack Olwell had nothing but positive things to say about his team's performance.

"We are closing the gap," he said. "Last year we got spanked pretty good by them and they arrived expecting more of the same...our players caught them off guard.

"A year ago we won 11 total games in the match  This year Jake (Bauer) did that by himself as did Cooper (Erickson) and and Gavin (Renwick) at third doubles."

The Erickson/Renwick duo provided the Farmington point with a 7-6 (5), 3-6, 10-8 win.

"Those two played exceptionally well," Olwell said, " thwarting the attack of the Red Wing team with consistency off the ground and well executed lobs."

Bauer lost 5-7, 6-4, 8-10 but was in the match from beginning to end.

"What a great match this was," Olwell said, "back and forth throughout with Jake controlling much of the play. He came up just short."

Senior Jon Zakoski also turned in a strong effort at fourth singles, losing in three sets 3-6, 6-2, 8-10.

"It was unfortunate for Jon that we didn't play a full third set since he had his opponent on the ropes," Olwell said. "Still it was a great match. Jon always makes it interesting."

Bennett Lagro (No. 1 singles) and Ivan Rodriguez (No. 3 singles) as well as first and second doubles teams Austin Tremmel/Trent Kortenbusch and Garrett Brown/Jake Spindler all lost in straight sets.

Farmington springs back into action Monday with a non-conference home match against Bloomington Kennedy.

Boys Tennis: Better, but not enough

Ivan Rodriguez won his third straight at No. 3 singles 6-1, 6-4

Last spring Northfield dominated Farmington 7-0 in a lopsided match. In Tuesday's 2014 rematch in Northfield the Tigers played much better but not enough to turn the score around in a 6-1 Missota Conference loss.

"We are playing better with each match," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "I don't suppose the score sounds like it indicates that but it does.

"Today it was far different from last year as we were competitive in almost every match. Ivan Rodriguez won big again and both second singles and two of the doubles teams were close."

Rodriguez won handily at the third singles position 6-1, 6-4 for his third straight victory.

"He fell behind in the second set but then played the best match of the young season," Olwell said. "Ivan has had three straight solid outings now but this was his best performance as it was against an attacker. He was steady under pressure and relentless in retrieving."

Jake Bauer had the best performance in the singles lineup, playing well, especially in the opening set, in a 5-7, 0-6 loss.

Bennett Lagro lost 0-6, 1-6 at No. 1 singles and Jon Zakoski injured his should and had to retire midway through the second set.

The first and second doubles teams of Austin Tremmel/Trent Kortenbusch and Jake Spindler/Garrett Brown lost by identical 2-6, 4-6 scores. The third doubles duo of Cooper Erickson/Gavin Renwick fell 5-7, 2-6.

Thursday the Tigers return home to take on Red Wing in another conference match-up at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

Boys Tennis: In the win column

Bennett Lagro rallied for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles

The Tigers rebounded from a tough loss to Park last Friday with an exciting 4-3 non-conference victory Monday afternoon at Prior Lake.

Farmington's first win in three tries this spring didn't come easily, however. The match was played in miserably cold and windy conditions and six of the seven match-ups went three sets.

"The conditions were very difficult  with temperatures in the low 30's with a strong consistent wind," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said.

"On top of that our teams were almost perfectly evenly matched. In 35 years of coaching I have never had a match that had even five three-setters let alone the six matches that went the distance today."

The one match that's outcome was never in doubt came at third singles where Ivan Rodriguez won with ease 6-1, 6-1. The rest were nail-biters.

Bennett Lagro and Jon Zakoski won at first and third singles with both rallying after losing the first set. Lagro won 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 and Zakoski prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

"Bennett played an excellent second and third set, forcing his opponent into a number of errors while playing relatively clean tennis in miserable conditions," Olwell said.

"Jon arrived at the correct strategy but waited until midway through the second set to do it. He demonstrated again that tennis rewards the smart player, particularly if he is fit."

The other Tiger point came at third doubles where the tandem of Cooper Erickson and Gavin Renwick scored  a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 triumph.

"Their shot-making at the end was the difference," Olwell said.

Jake Bauer played well in a losing 6-4, 2-6, 1-6 effort at second singles. The first doubles team of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch fell 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 and the second tandem of Jake Spindler and Garrett Brown lost 3-6, 4-6, 6-7 (5).

The Tigers open their Missota Conference dual meet season Tuesday with a road match at Northfield.

Boys Tennis: Oh so close

Ivan Rodriguez won 6-0, 6-0 at third singles

Last year Park of Cottage Grove dominated the Tigers 6-1. In Friday's rematch at the Boeckman Middle School courts the final outcome was the same but this time by a much closer 4-3 margin.

"Even though I am disappointed by what could not have been a closer loss, I am very happy with our improvements and overall level of play," coach Jack Olwell said. "There is still some work to be done, but we gave ourselves a chance to get on the victory stand."

Two of the Farmington points came at third and fourth singles where Ivan Rodriguez and Jon Zakoski posted victories. Rodriguez pitched a 6-0, 6-0 shutout while Zakoski pulled out a come-from-behind 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4) thriller of a win.

"Ivan was dominant throughout," Olwell said. "Jon dug a deep hole but landed an effective strategy in the second that allowed him to level the match and then take a 4-1 lead in the third set."

The other Tiger win came at second doubles where the tandem of  Jake Spindler and Garret Brown rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 triumph.

"They totally controlled play from the net, smothering their opponent's attempts to get into the match," Olwell said.

Olwell said he was also pleased with the play of Jake Bauer at No. 2 singles who fell in three sets, 6-4, 5-7 (5-10).

"I thought Jake controlled much of the play and was on the attack throughout the match," he said.  "His opponent unfortunately made a series of incredible saves on what looked like sure winners."

Farmington (0-2) will be looking for its first win Monday when it travels to Prior Lake for a non-conference match. The Tigers open Missota Conference play Tuesday at Northfield.

Boys Tennis: South prevails in opener

Coach Jack Olwell, in his 35th season as head coach, gave his team its pre-match instructions

A strong Lakeville South team spoiled the Tigers opener, winning 6-1 in a non-conference match Monday afternoon at the Boeckman Middle School courts.

"I thought we would give them a closer run but they are both strong and deep," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "It didn't help that three of our top 10 were out of the line-up for various reasons.

"Still I don't think that would have been enough with their ball striking ability. They are quite young also - a little like us us but with more experience."

The Tiger highlights came at second singles and first doubles.

Jake Bauer provided the Farmington point with a hard fought 6-1, 6-7 (9), 10-6 win at the No. 2 singles position.

Jake Bauer provided the lone Tiger win in the opener

"This was a wonderfully contested battle of wills that featured some mature shot-making by both players," Olwell said. "Jake controlled much of the match and even had match point in the second set tie-breaker...The beauty of this match was that it was marked by high quality play at pressure moments."

The first doubles team of Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch fell 2-6, 6-7(4) but played well according to their coach.

"I was proud of the way they fought back from a tough loss in the first to nearly leveling the match," Olwell said. "They made some strategic adjustments that paid off."

Lakeville South 6 Farmington 1
1S Bennett Lagro lost 2-6, 0-6
2S Jake Bauer won 6-1, 6-7 (9), 10-6
3S Ivan Rodriguez lost 0-6, 0-6
4S Cooper Erickson lost 0-6, 1-6
1D Trent Kortenbusch and Austin Tremmel lost 2-6, 6-7 (4)
2D Jake Spindler and Garrett Brown lost 1-6, 3-6
3D Tony Ratanna and Lucas Toutge lost 0-6, 0-6

Boys Tennis: Experience at the top should help

2013 MVP Bennett Lagro returns at No. 1 singles

The 2014 FHS boys tennis roster will look like much that of 2013 but while most of the names remain the same, the season outlook looks appears much brighter than a year ago.

"Our experience should be one of our strengths," coach Jack Olwell said. "We return players at the top of the singles and doubles lineup so we will be trying to find combinations that strengthen us. Also, we have a number of players who have worked hard over the winter and should enjoy a great season."

 Heading the list of returnees is a singles lineup consisting of sophomore Bennett Lagro at the top spot followed in order by freshman Jake Bauer, and seniors Ivan Rodriguez and Jon Zakoski.

Lagro, the returning team MVP, received all-Missota Conference honorable mention last year. Bauer was the Player of the Year in 2013, the same honor Rodriguez received in 2012.

The doubles team of seniors Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch will likely start the season as the Tigers' top doubles tandem.

Sophomore Grady Hauswirth will move from singles to doubles this spring and pair up with junior Garrett Brown. Senior Jake Spindler is also a doubles candidate as are sophomores Derek Cole and Cooper Erickson.

Jake Bauer was 2013 Player of the Year

"It also looks like we will have four or five newcomers who may have a shot at getting into our lineup," Olwell said.

Seniors Zakoski, Tremmel and Kortenbusch will serve as tri-captains this season.

Olwell said he knows that several of his players have strengthened their game over the off-season. Now it's a matter of seeing how much.

"The question is did we keep pace with the other conference teams,"he said. "I believe we have, but we'll see." 

Olwell said as usual the Missota with Shakopee, Chaska and Red Wing all returning veteran lineups and Northfield a short step behind them will be ultra-competitive. Perennial state power Rochester Mayo is the odds-on favorite to win Section 1AA honors.

"We're looking for a top five finish in the conference and an improvement in the section," he said. "The key there is getting an opening round home match. That's one of our goals."

Entering his 35th season as varsity coach and with assistants Jon Malin and Joe "Doc" Emond having 30 and seven years under their respective belts, Olwell says he no doubt has the most experienced coaching staff in the state.

The Tigers will ignore the snow and practice on the shoveled-off Empire Township parking lot until they can get on their own courts at Boeckeman Middle School.

"Some of our opponents are already holding captains' practice at Lifetime Fitness, so that obviously is a head start," Olwell said. "We don't have that luxury for most of our players."

The Tigers are scheduled to start their outdoor season Monday, April 7, with a home match against Lakeville South.

Boys Tennis: A rewarding spring

Bennett Lagro: MVP and Missota Conference honorable mention

The final numbers weren't dazzling but all things considered, Tiger coach Jack Olwell said the weather-ravaged  2013 spring season was a positive one.

"This was a rewarding season that just flew by," Olwell said. "Although we did not advance past the first round or advance individuals at our sub-section, I can see it is going to happen with this group of players. They are still going to the courts on their own even though the season has ended."

Farmington finished the year with a 3-9 dual meet record and ranked seventh in the Missota Conference with a 1-6 mark.

The team's youth is illustrated by the fact it had only three seniors among its 13 letterwinners: Austin Rau, Drew Corraro and Chris McGlauchlen.

Others earning varsity monograms included juniors Austin Tremmel, Trent Kortenbusch, Jon Zakoski, Ivan Rodriguez and Jake Spindler; sophomore Garrett Brown; freshmen Grady Hauswirth and Cooper Ericksen and seventh-grader Jake Bauer.

Senior ShyAnne Spurzem and junior Megan Stivers, both members of the Tiger girls' team, served as managers this spring and also received letters.

Other team members included junior Nick Makhoul; sophomores Chris Makhoul, Matt Iung and Alex Poirer and freshman Sam Nagle, Anthony Rattana, Zach Knutson, Hunter Kelzenberg, Cole Watson and Derek Cole.

Jake Bauer: Player of the Year

Lagro, an all-Missota Confeernce honorable mention selection, was named the team's Most Valuable Player while Bauer earned Player of the Year honors. Rodriguez won the Tiger Award for attitude and work ethic and Rau was an Academic All-State performer. Zakoski and Kortenbusch shared team captain duties.

"We won more matches than we did last year," Olwell said, "and that's with half of our team being new. We showed great improvement from the beginning of the season to the end."

Olwell said the only disappointments came from the weather that condensed the season and necessitated almost a match-a-day schedule over the final two weeks.

As for the future, Olwell said things are looking up.

"We are going to be much stronger and deeper next year," he said.  "Many players have tennis plans for the summer, fall, and winter - the time when players are made."

Boys Tennis : Season ends in Rochester

Jake Bauer lost a marathon 6-7, 7-6, 2-6 decision

The Tigers' 2013 season officially met the end of the road Thursday in Rochester as all four Farmington entries fell in the opening round of the Section 1AA individual tournament.

"We did not do as well as we had hoped," Farmington coach Jack Olwell said.

The best showing of the day for the Tigers came from seventh-grader Jake Bauer who lost a three-hour marathon 6-7, 7-6, 2-6 decision to an opponent from  Owatonna.

"It was more or less a battle of attrition with a lot of unforced errors," Olwell said, "but it was there for the taking."

Freshman Bennett Lagro also had some opportunities in a 4-6, 2-6 loss to the No.1 doubles player from Rochester Mayo.

Austin Tremmel and Trent Kortenbusch lost 1-6 0-6 to Owatonna's top doubles team and Austin Rau and Grady Hauswirth fell 0-6, 0-6 to a tandem from Red Wing.

Boys Tennis: Owatonna ousts Tigers from section

Ivan Rodriguez lost 3-6, 2-6 at No. 3 singles

Owatonna won all seven matches in straight sets in a 7-0 shutout win over the Tigers in the opening round of Section 1AA play Tuesday afternoon in Owatonna.

"Owatonna is a tough team and the wind and the heat didn't help our cause," Tiger coach Jack Olwell said. "Usually I tend to see those kind of conditions as an equalizer but this time I think they hurt our quality of play more than theirs."

Ivan Rodriguez put up the best Tiger fight of the day in a 3-6, 2-6 loss at the No. 3 singles position.

"Ivan was 2-3 in the second set with three or four break points against his opponent's serve to even the set," Olwell said, "but either a wind-enhanced serve or an errant return gave the point to Owatonna and snuffed out our chance to gain some momentum."

Bennett Lagro lost at first singles 2-6, 3-6, playing what Olwell termed a "smart" second set. Jon Zakoski also logged extended court time in a 1-6, 1-6 loss at fourth singles.

The loss ended the Tigers' team season. Section individual play begins next week.

Owatonna 7 Farmington 0
No. 1 singles Bennett Lagro lost 2-6, 3-6
No. 2 singles Jake Bauer lost 2-6, 2-6
No. 3 singles Ivan Rodriguez lost 3-6, 2-6
No. 4 singles Jon Zakoski lost 1-6, 1-6
No. 1 doubles Trent Kortenbusch/Austin Tremmel lost 1-6, 1-6
No. 2 doubles Austin Rau/Grady Hauswirth lost 2-6, 2-6
No. 3 doubles Jake Spindler/Drew Corraro lost 1-6, 1-6