Marquette, MI – May 20th, 2026 – The Negaunee Miners entered the tournament looking to continue their remarkable dominance after winning the past 14 conference championships. Munising, Gwinn, Westwood, Iron Mountain, and Ishpeming all hoped to dethrone the defending champions. It would prove to be a tall task.
When the final scores were tallied at Westwood High School, Negaunee once again found themselves at the top of the leaderboard:
- Munising — 5 points
- Gwinn — 7 points
- Iron Mountain — 11 points
- Ishpeming — 23 points
- Westwood — 35 points
- Negaunee — 44 points (15th consecutive MPC Conference Championship)
Singles No. 1
Easton Guenette (NHS) and Damian Grondz (WHS) each received first-round byes into the semifinals. In the opening round, Levi Westcomb (MUN) faced Malakai Broersma (IM) for the opportunity to advance to the semifinals against Guenette. Broersma earned the spot with a 6-4, 6-0 victory.
On the other side of the bracket, Kole Bancroft (ISH) squared off against Lukas Waldo (GWN) for the chance to face Grondz. Bancroft dominated the match, rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 win.
In the semifinals, Guenette defeated Broersma 6-2, 7-5, while Bancroft earned a matching 6-2, 7-5 victory over Grondz. In the third-place pro set, Grondz defeated Broersma 8-2.
Guenette came out firing in the championship match, using a fast start and consistent play to capture the title with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over Bancroft.
Singles No. 2
Nolan O’Dovero (NHS) and Caden Balzarini (WHS) each earned first-round byes in the Singles No. 2 bracket. In opening-round action, Gideon Krook (ISH) defeated Jack Carlson (MUN) 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the semifinals against O’Dovero. On the other side, Seth Greenleaf (IM) earned a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Brayden Couture (GWN) to move on and face Balzarini.
In the semifinals, O’Dovero cruised past Krook 6-1, 6-1. The other semifinal turned into one of the longest and most competitive matches of the day, as Balzarini outlasted Greenleaf 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to punch his ticket to the finals. Krook later defeated Greenleaf 8-6 in the third-place match.
In the championship match, O’Dovero captured the championship over Balzarini, but the final score was unavailable.
Singles No. 3
Max Larson (NHS) and Caden Nurmi (WHS) each received semifinal byes in the Singles No. 3 bracket. In the opening round, Eli Siren (IM) defeated Clay Horne (MUN) 6-2, 7-5 to advance and face Larson. On the opposite side, Axel Carlson (ISH) defeated Gunnar Nordeen (GWN) 6-3, 6-0 to move on against Nurmi.
In the semifinals, Nurmi defeated Carlson 6-2, 6-2, while Larson cruised to a 6-0, 6-2 win over Siren to advance to the finals. In the third place match Siren would take down Carlson 8-3.
In the championship match, Larson shined, defeating Nurmi 6-1, 6-3 to claim the title.
Singles No. 4
Axl Sarasin (NHS) and Evan Hebert (WHS) received semifinal byes in the Singles No. 4 bracket. With Gwinn and Munising unable to field full teams, the semifinals were automatically set.
Sarasin defeated Nolan Dolaski (MUN) 7-5, 6-2, while Hebert knocked off Darius Weber (ISH) 6-3, 6-1. In the third-place match, Dolaski earned an 8-0 victory over Weber.
In the championship match, Sarasin delivered one of the most dominant performances of the tournament, defeating Hebert 6-0, 6-0 without dropping a single game to secure the championship, leaving the Miners to claim all of the singles flights.
Doubles No. 1
Carson Lajimodiere and Quinn Walters (NHS), along with Xavier Grondz and AJ Pizzaiola (WHS), each earned semifinal byes in the Doubles No. 1 bracket.
In the opening round, Kevin Sgrecci and Adam Lane (IM) defeated Hunter Beltz and Jakob Smith (GWN) 6-2, 6-3 to move into the semifinals. On the opposite side of the bracket, Dax Kakkuri and Grady Gauthier (ISH) advanced automatically after Munising was unable to field a doubles team.
Lajimodiere and Walters cruised through their semifinal with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Sgrecci and Lane, while Grondz and Pizzaiola defeated Kakkuri and Gauthier 6-4, 6-0 to advance to the finals. Kakkuri and Gauthier later claimed third place with an 8-1 victory over Beltz and Smith.
In the championship match, Lajimodiere and Walters capped off a dominant tournament run defeating Grondz and Pizzaiola 6-2, 6-4 to secure the title.
Doubles No. 2
Vince Tincknell and Marshall Knapp (NHS), along with Ethan Marta and Jacob Ridl (WHS), each received semifinal byes in the Doubles No. 2 bracket.
In opening-round play, Ryan Sgrecci and John Manier (IM) defeated Faller Anderson and Levi Monarch (GWN) 6-1, 6-2. On the lower side of the bracket, Davis Hyatt and Adam Aponte (ISH) advanced directly to the semifinals.
Tincknell and Knapp controlled their semifinal from the opening serve, rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Sgrecci and Manier. In the other semifinal, Marta and Ridl defeated Hyatt and Aponte 6-0, 6-4 to punch their ticket to the finals. Hyatt and Aponte later secured third place with an 8-4 victory over Sgrecci and Manier.
The championship match turned into one of the most exciting battles of the day. After dropping the opening set 1-6, Marta and Ridl rallied back to win the second set in a tiebreak before pulling away in the deciding set for a 1-6, 7-6, 6-2 comeback victory over Tincknell and Knapp to claim the championship.
Doubles No. 3
Connor Steede and Trent Emard (NEG), along with Sean Grove and Brady Dobson (WHS), received semifinal byes. Meanwhile, Caleb Bash and Jace Netzel (GWN), along with Ethan Demarios and Marcus Annala (ISH), automatically advanced to the semifinals due to Munising and Iron Mountain not fielding teams in the bracket.
Emard and Steede had no trouble in their semifinal, defeating Bash and Netzel 6-0, 6-0. On the bottom side of the bracket, Grove and Dobson defeated Demarios and Annala 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the finals. In the third-place match, Demarios and Annala defeated Netzel and Bash 8-0.
In the finals, Steede and Emard continued to roll, taking down Grove and Dobson 6-2, 6-0 to capture their title.
Doubles No. 4
The semifinals were set with Wyatt Nelson and Brandon Alba (NHS), along with Andrew Beckman and Deion Johnson (WHS), receiving byes. Meanwhile, Munising and Gwinn did not field teams, automatically moving Iron Mountain and Ishpeming into the semifinals.
Nelson and Alba defeated Isaac Sheen and Johnathon Sheen (IM) 6-0, 6-0. Beckman and Johnson nearly matched that score, defeating Legend Hewitt and Loki Vollmar (ISH) in straight sets 6-0, 6-1. In the third-place match, Hewitt and Vollmar edged Isaac and Johnathon Sheen 8-6.
In the finals, Beckman and Johnson proved to be too much for Nelson and Alba, earning a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory to capture the championship.
Teams will now begin preparation for next week’s U.P. Finals, with the Division 2 Finals being held at Kingsford High School, and the Division 1 Finals taking place at Westwood High School. Both tournaments are scheduled for May 27 and will begin at 10 a.m.
