Marquette, MI – June 3rd, 2026 – Last Wednesday, Westwood High School was host to the Division I Upper Peninsula Boys Tennis Finals, where six teams battled for a U.P. championship. Defending champions, Marquette, entered the tournament looking to repeat, while the rest of the field hoped to end the Sentinels’ reign atop the leaderboard. After a full day of competition featuring some of the region’s best players, Marquette successfully defended its title, edging out Negaunee for the team championship.
Final Team Standings
- Marquette – 17 (U.P. Champion)
- Negaunee – 15
- Kingsford – 12
- Westwood – 6
- Escanaba – 5
- Gladstone – 1
Singles No. 1
Easton Guenette (NHS) and Landon Adams (KHS) earned first-round byes into the semifinals. On the top half of the bracket, Damian Grondz (WHS) defeated Chase Korpi (ESKY) before falling to Adams.
On the opposite side, Belkowski (MQT) opened with a win over James Blair (GLAD) and carried that momentum into the semifinals, where he upset Guenette to advance to the championship match.
Belkowski completed his impressive run in the finals, defeating Adams 6-2, 6-4 to capture the title.
Singles No. 2
Issaac Lebouef (KHS) and Nolan O’Dovero (NHS) received opening-round byes. Brett Swanson (ESKY) advanced past Brady Janofski (MQT) before running into Lebouef in the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, Caden Balzarini defeated Brant Veeser (GLAD) before falling to O’Dovero, setting up a championship showdown between O’Dovero and Lebouef.
The final proved to be one of the day’s most competitive matches. O’Dovero survived a tight first-set tiebreak before pulling away for a 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 victory to claim the title.
Singles No. 3
Evan Grymes (KHS) and Max Larson (NHS) earned byes into the semifinals. Caden Nurmi (WHS) defeated Chase Ketcham (GLAD) before falling to Grymes, while Caden Laurn (MQT) topped Chris Economopoulos (ESKY) before Larson ended his tournament run.
The championship match belonged to Grymes, who delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day, defeating Larson 6-0, 6-1 to win the flight.
Singles No. 4
Dominic Camilli (MQT) and Kyle Smith (ESKY) received first-round byes. Evan Hebert (WHS) defeated H. Trottier (GLAD) before falling to Camilli in the semifinals.
On the bottom half of the bracket, Axl Sarasin (NEG) defeated David Arcand (KHS) before being eliminated by Smith.
The championship match featured a dramatic comeback as Smith rebounded after dropping the opening set to defeat Camilli 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and secure the Singles No. 4 title.
Doubles No. 1
Clark Robb and Andy Yu (KHS) along with Winston Leonard and Conner Henry (MQT) received byes into the semifinals.
Tegan Reynolds and Tyler Soderman (GLAD) advanced past Xavier Grondz and AJ Pizzaiola (WHS) before falling to Robb and Yu. On the opposite side, Carson Lajimodiere and Quinn Walters (NHS) defeated Logan Stephens and Adam Prey (ESKY) before being stopped by Leonard and Henry.
The championship match went the distance. After dropping the opening set 6-3, Leonard and Henry rallied to win the final two sets, including a thrilling match tiebreak, defeating Robb and Yu 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (11-9).
Doubles No. 2
Vince Tincknell and Marshall Knapp (NHS) and Bode Helman and Connor Dunn (MQT) both earned first-round byes.
Alex Hemgren and Bracket (KHS) defeated Taylor Asgaard and Dominic Parlato (ESKY) before falling to Helman and Dunn. On the bottom side, Ethan Marta and Jacob Ridl advanced before Tincknell and Knapp secured their place in the finals.
With the team championship still hanging in the balance, the Doubles No. 2 flight became the final match on the courts. Helman and Dunn dominated the first set 6-0, but Tincknell and Knapp answered with a 6-4 second-set victory to force a deciding third set.
In the end, Helman and Dunn regained control and claimed the match 6-0, 4-6, 6-2, securing both the flight championship and the Division I U.P. team title for Marquette.
Doubles No. 3
Connor Steede and Trent Emard (NEG) and Elan Chu and Kane Bush (MQT) received opening-round byes.
Benjamin Klenow and Logan Kamerschen (ESKY) defeated Sean Grove and Brady Dobson (WHS) before falling to Steede and Emard in the semifinals. On the other side, Richard Waara and Jacob Waara (KHS) advanced past Beauchamp and Anderson before being eliminated by Chu and Bush.
The championship match was highly competitive, but Steede and Emard held off a determined challenge from Chu and Bush to win the flight title 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
Doubles No. 4
Andrew Beckman and Deion Johnson (WHS) along with Billy Krebs and Jack Tiziani (MQT) received byes into the semifinals.
Berglund and Mancuso advanced past Justin Straub and K. Stahlman (GLAD) before falling to Krebs and Tiziani. On the other side, Wyatt Nelson and Brandon Alba (NHS) defeated William Derkos and Brady McIntyre (ESKY) before continuing their run with an upset semifinal victory.
In the championship match, Krebs and Tiziani proved too strong, defeating Nelson and Alba 6-3, 6-4 to capture the Doubles No. 4 title.
Marquette’s four flight championships, and the clutch performance from Helman and Dunn in Doubles No. 2, ultimately proved to be the difference, allowing the Sentinels to edge Negaunee by two point and successfully defend their Division I Upper Peninsula championship.
