BEA’s No. 1 singles player, Joe Frundt, hits a forehand return in a recent match played in Wells.

The BEA boys tennis team set out to slay the Litchfield Dragons at the Varsity Section Quarterfinals on Thursday, May 16, but they came up one match short.

The No. 5-seeded Dragons upset the No. 4-seeded Bucs with a narrow, 4-3 defeat.

BEA’s No. 1 singles player, Joe Frundt, faced a tough opponent in Litchfield’s Lincoln Dille. Dille won the match in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

However, the Bucs scooped up three wins in the remaining singles match-ups. At No. 2 singles, Jamie Johnson defeated Dragon Max Grabow in a decisive, 6-0, 6-0 victory, and Brady Lorenz beat his No. 3 singles opponent, Grayson Swenson, 6-1, 6-1.

Ryder Dutton tallied a final win with his 6-0, 6-0 defeat of Peter Larson at the No. 4 slot.

The Dragons proved formidable foes on the doubles court. They started off a string of victories at the No. 1 slot, when Alex Nelson and Josh Blomberg defeated Bucs Devin Haase and Gustavo Chavero, 6-3, 6-1.

Seth Mathews and Seth Stevermer also lost their match against Litchfield’s Mattias Bruning and Tommy Wittrock at No. 2 doubles, 6-3, 6-0. BEA suffered a final defeat when Noah Hanson and Mitchell Stevermer lost their No. 3 doubles match to Jordan Turner and Matt Defries, 6-3, 6-2.

Although Thursday marked the end of the BEA tennis team’s season, the Bucs will have the chance to compete individually on Wednesday, May 22, in the first round of the Varsity Section Individual Tournament.

BEA 6, Pipestone 1

The Blue Earth Area boys tennis team shot down the Pipestone Area Arrows with a 6-1 defeat on Tuesday, May 14.

The Bucs’ singles players were on fire with a streak of 6-0, 6-0 shut-outs against the Arrows.

Joe Frundt brought the Bucs’ first win at No. 1 singles when he defeated Lucas Zupp, and Pipestone Area’s Brady Dunn was similarly defeated by Jamie Johnson at No. 2 singles.

At No. 3 singles, it was BEA’s Brady Lorenz who defeated Avery Gutierez, and Ryder Dutton brought BEA a fourth win against Joel Cardenas at No. 4 singles.

The Arrows booked a win at No. 1 doubles, however, when Makhi Winter and Chase Wilson defeated Devin Haase and Seth Stevermer 7-5, 7-5.

The Bucs were back with a victory over Cody Norberg and Matthew Swenson at No. 2 doubles, although Mitchell Stevermer and Noah Hanson had to work for the ‘W.’ They won the first set, 6-1, but the Arrows took the second set, 6-4, before the match was settled with a 10-4 tie-breaker in BEA’s favor.

The match at No. 3 doubles also went to the Bucs, 2-0, 2-0, when Pipestone Area left their No. 3 doubles slot open.

The winning team will advance to the Varsity Section Semifinals, which are scheduled to be held on Monday, May 20.

BEA 5, Fairmont 2

The Bucs clipped the Fairmont Cardinals’ wings with a 5-2 defeat at a match held on Thursday, May 9.

BEA’s singles players dominated with four consecutive wins. Joe Frundt kicked off the winning streak when he defeated Fairmont’s Dominick Lund-May, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 1 singles. Buc Jamie Johnson was also victorious over Sebastian Castro at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-1.

The Bucs’ Brady Lorenz and Zack Ashland faced off at No. 3 singles, with Lorenz shutting out Ashland 6-0, 6-0. Ryder Dutton brought BEA a final win at the No. 4 slot against Lilly Ortega, 6-0, 6-1.

Fairmont turned the tables at doubles with two wins. Tyler Slama and Anthony Stegge booked the Cardinals’ first victory against Devin Haase and Gustavo Chavero at No. 1 doubles, 6-2, 6-4.

Fairmont’s Carter Quist and Wylee Frederiksen also beat their opponents, Seth Stevermer and Seth Mathews, at No. 2 doubles, 6-3, 6-3.

BEA recorded a fifth win at No. 3 doubles, however, when Mitchell Stevermer and Noah Hanson defeated Oliver Thedens and Simoné Castro 6-2, 6-4.