MINOT -- After two days at the West Region tennis tournament in Minot, Dickinson High is in good shape.
The Midgets have state-qualified their doubles team of seniors Taylor Bruhschwein and Stephan Blanchard, which will be looking for another shot at the title after losing in last year's state doubles championship. The pair, seeded second, will match up against Williston No. 2 seed Cameron McFarlin and Mike DeLorme.
"I was pleased with their intensity on the court," Dickinson coach Clayton Johnsen said. "They're hardest matches are yet to come, so we'll see how they do."
The Midgets qualified as a team Thursday when they topped Bismarck High 3-2 in a state-qualifying match. Though the entire team is going anyways, the Midgets are doing their best to make sure everyone stays busy.
No. 2 doubles team Jess Freidt and Colin Peterson are still alive after losing in the quarterfinals to their teammates, Blanchard and Bruhschwein.
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Freidt and Peterson will play Minot's Rob Gokey and Jacob Pfau in a state-qualifying match today at 9:30 a.m.
Singles players Shawn Senescal and Luke Van Ells both survived the second day and will both be playing state-qualifying matches.
Senescal, unseeded, will play Paul Pearson of Minot. Van Ells, also unseeded, will play No. 6-seed Eric Watne of Jamestown. Both matches start at 8 a.m.
"I was really impressed with how the kids showed up to play," Johnsen said. "They never gave up, even when they were down."
