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Sports

Lindbergh Boys' Tennis Wins State Title

It has been a long run for the Lindbergh boys’ tennis team, starting their season in August playing until the West Central Districts in October. Then expect to pick right off where they did this weekend at the 2A State Tournament at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Washington.  

They didn’t miss a beat – qualifying two singles and two doubles team, the Eagles advanced to Saturday’s championship rounds and in the end took the 2A state title for the second time in three years. It’s the school’s first outright title, after tying Washington in 2011. They finished second last year.

Lindbergh also had a girl tennis player in single, freshman Lizel Villanueva.

“It’s been a while for this team to manage its expectations,” said head coach Steve Bergquist. “After last year’s state tournament, we were the favorites to win. After districts the boys went indoors to play and they picked each other up.”   “They worked hard and it’s huge to win (state),” said Bergquist.

It’s been an exciting season for the coach, who was able to coach and teach at Lindbergh then head to Olympia in January as the House Representative for the 11th District. Bergquist who was unable to coach the girls team came home to watch and coach his boys team.  

Lindbergh was the team to beat and all six boys found a way to advance to Saturday’s matches. Each game earned the team points and coach Bergquist was keeping a tally. The Eagles secured their first outright title after junior Joe Kwiatkowski beat Lake Washington’s Arash Hefizi for third place of the singles match.  

Doubles duo of Alan Kwiatkowski and Sam Bayna added to Lindbergh’s point total with a straight sweep against defending champions Josh Rasmus and Daniel Yu of Washington. “We were nervous before the district’s match (against Rasmus and Yu), but after beating them handily we grew confidence we could be state champions,” said Alan Kwiatkowski. “It’s what we have been practicing with a state title in mind.  

Also helping contribute to the title was the other doubles pair of Peter Vu and John Franco. Jermiah Bayn dropped his first two matches in the boys’ single matches to be eliminated.   Lindbergh’s only female tennis player freshman Lizel Villanueva had won each of her league and district matches. She lost in her quarterfinal match against Selah’s McKenzie Kieser. She finished in seventh place.  

Top 5 Boys Team Scores – Lindbergh 20, Capital and Sehome 17, Washington 15, West Valley Yakima 13  

BOYS DOUBLES

Alan Kwiatkowski and Sam Bayna
Beat Ryan Gudbranson/Ryan Padgett – Tumwater, 2-0 first round
Beat Joesph Chung/Jamison Simanson - Pullman, 2-0, quarterfinals
Beat Kenny Saari/Daniel Blomdahl - W F West 2-0, semifinals
Beat Josh Rasmus/Daniel Yu - Washington 2-0 championship  

Peter Vu and John Franco
Lost Nick Smith/Brady Anderson - Sehome, 2-0 first round
Beat Gavin Reynolds/CJ Stauffer - Toppenish, 2-1, consolation
Lost to Connor Ross/Jeremy Sacks - Lake Washington 2-1, consolation  

BOYS SINGLES

Joe Kwiatkowski
Beat Jimmy Do, Black Hills 2-0 in first round
Beat Ethan Romney, Sammamish 2-1 in quarterfinals
Lost to Ty Gentry, Capital 2-0 in semifinals Beat Arash Hefizi, Lake Washington 2-0 for third place  

Jermiah Bayna
lost to Avery West, Sehome 2-0 in first round lost to Jonathan Yu, Washington in consolation round  

GIRLS SINGLES
Lizel Villanueva
Beat Nicole Wesetendorp - Kingston, 2-0
Lost to McKenzie Kieser - Selah, 2-0
Beat Stephanie Her - Pullman, 2-1
Lost Anna Lefevbre - Burlington-Edison, 2-0

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