Eagan 1-2 in team tournament
Lakeville North senior Anthony Scheglowski traveled a difficult path to a state consolation championship.
Before even reaching the Class AA boys tennis tournament, he had to face the state’s top-ranked player – unbeaten Rochester Mayo sophomore Tej Bhagra – in the finals of the Section 1AA tournament. Bhagra won, but Scheglowski’s second-place finish got him back to the state tournament for the third consecutive year.
Once there, his first-round match was against No. 2-seeded Sam Rathmanner of Shakopee. Scheglowski took the first set before losing 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 on June 6 at the Baseline Tennis Center. That sent him to the consolation bracket, where the Panthers captain won three matches for his highest state tournament finish.
Scheglowski defeated Carter Michaels of Eagan 6-2, 6-0 in the consolation quarterfinals. On June 7, he defeated Zach Bengtson of Becker 6-0, 6-0, and Tarun Gopalakrishnan of Blake 7-6(6), 6-2 to finish his season 24-7.
As Lakeville North’s No. 1 singles player, Scheglowski led the Panthers to back-to-back South Suburban Conference championships. He was seventh in the state coaches association Class AA singles rankings.
Two singles players and one doubles team from Eagan also competed in the Class AA individual tournament. Jack Gustafson lost to fourth-seeded Brandon Pham of Mahtomedi 6-1, 6-0 in the singles first round. The Wildcats’ Carter Michaels lost 6-3, 6-1 to Bode Campbell of Bloomington Jefferson.
In consolation matches, Gustafson finished 21-8 following a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Hugh Perrill of Orono. Michaels lost 6-2, 6-0 to Lakeville North’s Scheglowski to finish his season 22-7. Gustafson and Michaels are juniors.
Eagan senior Owen Heidtke and his brother Will, a sophomore, reached the second round in doubles. They opened with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Keagen Lowman and Micah Gustafson of Cambridge-Isanti before losing 6-0, 6-4 to No. 1 seeds and eventual state runners-up Anthony Perrill and Quinn Martini of Orono. Tanay Panguluri and Jacob Salisbury defeated the Orono team 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match.
The Heidtke brothers played mostly singles in team matches for Eagan. Owen had a 22-7 record this season while Will finished 27-2.
Team tournament
Eagan played in the Class AA boys team tournament for the third consecutive year. The Wildcats won one of three matches, placing sixth.
Eden Prairie took two points in singles and two in doubles to defeat Eagan 4-3 for fifth place June 5 at the Baseline Tennis Center. The Wildcats’ Owen Heidtke won 6-2, 3-6, 10-8 at first singles (consolation matches had a first-to-10-points third set instead of the traditional format). Will Heidtke won 6-3, 6-0 at fourth singles. Winning in doubles was the No. 3 Eagan team of Sowmik Garishakurti and Blake Prouty (6-0, 4-6, 10-6).
Mahtomedi won all the singles matches in straight set as the Zephyrs defeated Eagan 5-2 in the Class AA quarterfinals June 4. Luke Poppinga and Will Gleason were 6-2, 6-4 winners at first doubles, and Garishakurti and Prouty took their third doubles match 6-4, 7-6(4).
The Wildcats beat Elk River 5-2 in the consolation semifinals, winning all four singles matches and one doubles match. Singles winners for Eagan were Owen Heidtke (4-6, 6-4, 11-9), Michaels (6-3, 6-0), Gustafson (6-3, 6-4) and Will Heidtke (6-2, 6-2). Garishakurti and Prouty won 6-4, 6-4 at third doubles to go unbeaten in the state team tournament.
Wayzata defeated Rochester Mayo 5-2 in the Class AA team championship match.
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