Kernels in ninth place at state tennis tourney

RAPID CITY — Mitchell is in ninth place at the state high school boys’ tennis tournament after two days of competition.

The Kernels have 242 points and have three individuals alive in the consolation bracket in the final day of play.

“It was a real team effort so far,” Mitchell coach Pat Moller said. “Every player who played on this team scored points for us. It’s been a lot of fun to watch.”

Sioux Falls Washington is in first with 614 points and O’Gorman is in second with 508.5.

Individually for Mitchell, No. 3 Taylor Moore, No. 4 Kanin Nelson and No. 6 Alex Hegg are all playing to get into the consolation championship.

Moller said Moore trailed 5-1 in his third-round consolation match against his Yankton opponent, but came back to win 10-6.

Moller also noted the team’s No. 1 singles player, Jacob Cersosimo, who started the day in the quarterfinals but was knocked out of competition with two losses.

In the quarterfinals, Cersosimo played Connor Tieszen, the state’s No. 1-ranked player from Sioux Falls Washington.

“Tieszen is a very intimidating player,” Moller said. “Jacob was down 4-0 and won a game but lost the first set 6-1. He came back in the second set and was tied 3-3. He was playing out of his mind. He played the best tennis I’ve ever seen him play. He had Tieszen frustrated.”

After losing the second set 6-3, Cersosimo moved on to play in a match to get to the fifth-sixth place match. He lost to a Rapid City Central opponent. The score wasn’t available when this edition went to press.

“I just can’t say enough about how well Jacob played,” Moller said.

No. 2 Beau Brown, No. 5 Tate Crago and all of Mitchell’s doubles teams were knocked out of play.

Crago, like Cersosimo, was in the quarterfinals at the beginning of the second day.

“When you get in the quarterfinals, you have to be really good to compete, and I think we’re a year away from being able to complete with the top players in the state,” Moller said.

Tags: sports, updates, tennis, kernels