By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Buchanan's boys tennis team opened its season with a bang as it hosted and won its own Buck Indoor Tennis Tournament.
Mingus Tennis Club in Battle Creek and the Kalamazoo Y Tennis Center were the two locations for this year's tourney.
The Bucks finished with a team score of 19 points. Jackson Lumen Christi was second with 14 points, Portland was third with 13 points and Whitehall finished fourth with one point.
Head coach Steve Bender said in the 18 years Buchanan has hosted the tournament, the have only won a total of three times.
"Last year, they (Buchanan) ended the season unsatisfied with their finish at the state finals. Since then, they have put forth so much effort lifting, running and tennis training. Today they saw the benefits of that dedication," Bender said.
Flight champions on the day for Buchanan were Eric Lentz at No. 3 singles and Brad Burns at No. 4 singles. Lentz was 2-1, while Burns finished 3-0.
Champions in doubles play were Dillon Bailey and Andrew Frederick at No. 2 doubles. Sean Thornton and Gabriel Meirelles at No. 3 doubles and Andrew Scoggin and Josh Niven at No. 4 doubles. All three doubles teams were 3-0 in the tournament.
Flight runners-up were True Sulier at No. 1 singles and Mario Bonardi and Taylor Oake at No. 1 doubles.
"Our tennis program prides itself on overall team depth. This proved to be successful again. We scored points in every flight. Jackson Lumen Christi and Portland both finished in the top 10 last year at the state finals. We competed well with both," Bender said.
Ex Buchanan tennis player Jeff Eifler is not the head coach at Lumen Christi and Bender said he mentioned that this is the strongest doubles lineup he has seen from Buchanan in years.
"We have a long ways to go to accomplish our lofty goals, but this is the kick start we needed," Bender added