Justin Duelge

The Buccaneer tennis team got a big win against Waseca on Tuesday night at the courts in Blue Earth. BEA won the close battle 4-3.

The Bucs got three wins in singles play, and one from their No. 1 doubles team to grab the win from the Bluejays.

It was Wade Wilhelmi who secured the fourth point in an exciting match at No. 4 singles.

With the team score tied at 3-3, he defeated Pat O’Neil 6-3, 7-5, and gave the Bucs the victory. Wilhelmi was up 4-1 in the first set before O’Neil tied it at 4-4. Wilhelmi hung on to win the set, then outlasted O’Neil in a long and entertaining second set.

Riley Holmseth, at No. 2 singles, also had a close match, winning over Nick Hoelmer 7-6 (7-2), 6-4. Coach Colby Swanson called it one of the most impressive victories for the team this season, as Hoelmer is a very good singles player.

It was also close at No. 3 singles where Aaron Wilhelmi beat the Bluejays Barry Gullickson in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Matthew Purvis lost at No. 1 singles, falling to Patrick Flor 6-2, 6-0.

The No. 1 doubles team of Garrett Passer and Justin Duelge made short work of their match, defeating Richard Brooks and Greg Gentle 6-1, 6-1.

Coach Colby Swanson moved some players around in the other two doubles teams.

At No. 2 doubles, Hans Kittleson and Taylor Umland fell to Nick Hanson and Mitch DeKruif 6-1, 6-2. Colan Surratt and Harry Cadilek lost a close match at No. 3 doubles, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) to Alex Cooper and Jacob Denn.

“This was our first team win against Waseca since 2001,” Coach Swanson said. “And the Bluejays have had only one conference loss since the Bucs beat them in 2001 – a 4-3 loss to St. Peter last year.”

Swanson knows Waseca’s record well, as he is a former Bluejay.

“I was a junior in high school in Waseca in 2001 when Blue Earth Area beat us,” he recalls with a smile.

The win upped the Bucs season record to 7-4, and they have an undefeated 3-0 record in the South Central Conference.

Swanson also noted that Wade Wilhelmi has a 10-1 record this year, while Aaron Wilhelmi’s record stands at 9-2.

“They are two very steady players for us,” he said.

Austin 5, BEA 2

The Buc tennis team was as cold as the temperature in Austin last Monday as they lost 5-2.

The Wilhelmi brothers combined to give the Buccaneers their only two winning matches.

Aaron Wilhelmi, playing at No. 3 singles, took three sets to down Peter Lindahl. Scores were 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. At No. 4 singles, Wade Wilhelmi downed Matt Duren by scores of 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

At No. 1 singles, Matthew Purvis lost to Drew Halvin 6-1, 6-1. Riley Holmseth fell at No. 2 singles to John Register 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Garrett Passer and Justin Duelge lost to Bob Astrup and Jacob Brehmer at No. 1 doubles, 6-3, 6-2. At No. 2 doubles, Hans Kittleson and Taylor Umland lost to Matt Zastoupil and Chris Jahr 6-0, 6-2. No. 3 doubles team of Alex Cleppe and Colan Surratt lost to Andrew Heickley and Josh Detueiler 6-2, 6-1.

The loss dropped the Bucs record to 6-4 on the year.

BEA 5, Albert Lea 2

All four singles players for the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers won their matches as BEA downed Albert Lea 5-2 in tennis action Friday, April 24.

The four included Matthew Purvis, who defeated Brian Reindl at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-2.

At No. 2 singles, Riley Holmseth won 6-2, 6-0, over Luke Thompson. Aaron Wilhelmi defeated Logan Tufte 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles. At No. 4 singles Wade Wilhelmi won 6-2, 6-0, against Dylan Englebertson.

The No. 1 doubles team of Garrett Passer and Justin Duelge got the fifth win for the Bucs, defeating Kevin Zogg and Kyle See-Rockers 6-1, 7-5.

No. 2 doubles Hans Kittleson and Colan Surratt lost in a 3-set match, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2 to Ben Robinson and Jeff Thorstad. The No. 3 doubles team of Alex Cleppe and Taylor Umland also lost in three sets, falling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Luke Cheever and Joe Polis.

The win put the Bucs season record at 6-3.