Fat Friday for Mustangs boys tennis

 

PUEBLO – There are a lot of matches to play, but the first day of Colorado Class 4A boys tennis couldn’t have gone much better for Mullen.

Competing at City Park, the Mustangs advanced in six-of-seven spots on Friday, going an impressive 13-1 overall through the first two rounds.

They will be represented in two of the three singles slots and all four in doubles on Saturday, and own a 19-17 lead in team points over defending state champion Cheyenne Mountain.

And they were thorough – in a tournament modified by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Mustangs responded with straight-set victories in a format that was shortened from three days to two and involves zero playbacks.

At No. 1 singles, senior Mac Caldwell breezed in two matches, winning 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-1. Caldwell will meet Greeley West sophomore Nico Jamison in the semifinals. And defending champion Neil Wilcox will be in the other semifinal.

George Henry Hanzel, second a year ago at No. 2 singles, obviously wants another crack at a title. He won his matches 6-1, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-3. He’ll go against Ben Carlander, a Palmer Ridge junior, in the semis.

Only sophomore Jack Barker, who played for a doubles title a year ago, didn’t make it through the quarterfinals. After an opening-round victory by 6-0, 6-2, Barker fell to Aspen freshman Chase Kelly 6-0, 7-6.

Mullen doubles also played cleanly and will meet pairs from Cheyenne Mountain in three of the four semifinals.

At No. 1, Dante Dino-Greg McMullan rolled by 6-1, 6-2 and 6-0, 6-3. Incentive comes into play here – Dino was injured a year ago and McMullan was on a runner-up doubles team. They will meet Niwot’s Lichen Liao-Ivan Calderon in the semis. The Mullen duo won a tight 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 match head-to-head on Sept. 2.

Luc Caldwell-Alex Evans, at No. 2, also cruised, winning 6-1, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-2. They will take on Cheyenne Mountain’s Carver Ward-Miles Hoover. Luc Caldwell also was second at a doubles spot in 2019.

At No. 3, quick work also was the case for Patrick Duke-Colin Mackenzie, who won 6-1, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-2. Their semis date will be against Cheyenne Mountain’s Tyler Blixt-Hank Walsh.

And Mullen’s depth continued as Blake Zaragoza-Sean Phelps had to work at it, yet still moved on in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4 and 7-6, 6-3. They also will meet a Cheyenne Mountain pair, Conner Kofford-Johnson Peng.

Overall, Mullen owns six of the 28 semifinals spots, tops in the field, and Cheyenne Mountain will be represented in five, a singles and all four doubles.

After the Mustangs and Cheyenne Mountain, Kent Denver and Niwot are tied with 14 points. Both are alive at four semifinals spots.