Tennis: Niwot takes 3rd at State; Riley Black captures 2nd in No. 3 Singles

Since 2013, Kent Denver has dominated the 4A boys state tennis tournament, winning not only the team title, but also multiple individual titles, including four of the seven brackets in 2015. Following an impressive performance in the Class 4A Region 5 tournament, where they won all seven individual titles, Niwot seemed poised to make a run at the Sun Devils in 2016.

Unfortunately for Niwot, and every other team in 4A, Kent Denver seems on the brink of a dynasty. At last weekend’s state tournament, Kent Denver won its fourth straight 4A team title, with 82 points. Kent Denver players won six of the seven individual titles as well, falling short only in No. 4 Doubles.

Niwot placed third overall, with 38 points, behind second-place finisher (and Kent Denver rival) Colorado Academy, which had 64 points. Niwot finished just ahead of Aspen (33), and well ahead of regional rivals Peak to Peak (15) and Silver Creek (6).

Individually, Niwot sophomore Riley Black was the runner-up in the No.3 Singles bracket, defeating competitors from Lewis Palmer, Silver Creek, and Aspen before losing to Kent Denver senior Niko Hereford in the finals match, 6-0, 6-0.

Just a week after finally beating longtime rival Brett Finan of Peak to Peak Charter, Niwot captain Matt Chavez lost to Finan in the semi-final round 6-7, 6-4, 2-6. Finan, a sophomore, would go on to lose in the finals to Kent Denver’s Casey Ross. In the playback round, Chavez made it to the finals, only to lose to Colorado Academy sophomore Richter Jordaan, who beat Chavez 6-4, 6-2 at their last meeting on September 27. Chavez finished fourth overall.

At No. 2 Singles, freshman Caden Kammerer was ousted in the first round by Colorado Academy junior Quinn Bermingham, 6-2, 4-6, 4-6. Like Chavez, Kammerer would go on to lose in the finals of his playback round, to Aspen junior Dillon Leasure (0-6, 3-6), and finish fourth overall.

In doubles, the Niwot pair of Riley Mulshine and Cruz Culpepper finished fourth overall in the No. 2 bracket. The pair advanced to the semi-final round before losing to Zachary Brinker/Caleb Aguirre of Colorado Academy 3-6, 4-6. In their playback final, they lost to Cade McClellan/Seth Clemente of Alexander Dawson, 6-7, 6-7.

Niwot’s No. 3 doubles pair, Sam Bickham and Andrew Thomas, also advanced to the semi-final of their bracket, only to be ousted by Isaiah Dawid and Garrett Rademacher of Lewis Palmer. They then lost in the semi-finals of their playback round.

Elsewhere, Niwot’s first and fourth double pairs lost in the first rounds of their respective brackets and were eliminated.

Class 4A boys state championship (10/13 – 10/15)

Team Scores — Kent Denver 82, Colorado Academy 64, Niwot 38, Aspen 33, Peak to Peak 15, Dawson 15, Lewis-Palmer 11, Valor Christian 8, Evergreen 8, Silver Creek 6, Discovery Canyon 4, Steamboat Springs 4, D’Evelyn 3, Thompson Valley 3, Air Academy 3, Cheyenne Mountain 3, Fountain Valley 3, Palmer Ridge 1, George Washington 1, Mullen 1, Windsor 1

Niwot results

No.1 Singles — Brett Finan, Peak to Peak, def. Matthew Chavez (7-6, 6-4, 6-2), Semi-finals

Richter Jordaan (Colorado Academy) def. Matt Chavez (6-1, 6- 1), Playback finals

No.2 Singles — Quinn Bermingham, Colorado Academy, def Caden Kammerer, (2-6, 6-4, 6-4), Round 1

Dillon Leasure, Aspen, def. Caden Kammerer (6-0, 6-3), Playback finals

No.3 Singles — Niko Hereford, Kent Denver, def Riley Black (6-0, 6-0), Finals

No.1 Doubles — Keegan Mehall/Gabriel Suarez, Aspen, def. Peter Graham/Manas Saini (2-6, 6-2, 2-6), Round 1

No.2 Doubles — Zachary Brinker/Caleb Aguirre, Colorado Academy def. Riley Mulshine/Cruz Culpepper (6-3, 6-4), Semifinals

Cade McClellan/Seth Clemente, Dawson, def. Riley Mulshine/Cruz Culpepper (7-6 ,7-6), Playback finals

No. 3 Doubles — Isaiah Dawid/Garrett Rademacher, Lewis Palmer def. Sam Bickham/Andrew Thomas (6-4, 6-0), Semi-finals

No. 4 Doubles — Zachary Lundgren/Reese Colson, Lewis Palmer, def Patrick Xiao/Adin Heinritz (5-7, 6-2, 6-4), Round 1