BISMARCK - The Dickinson High boys tennis team qualified for the state tournament for the 12th consecutive season on Thursday, beating Bismarck High 3-2 in the state-qualifier match of the West Region tournament.
Taylor Bruhschwein won all three of his matches at No. 2 singles and the doubles team of Jess Freidt and Colin Peterson won both matches in which they were paired.
"The doubles pulled through again," Dickinson coach Clayton Johnsen said. "That's what helped us out."
The Midgets won both doubles matches against Bismarck High, despite winning just one of four in their 4-1 victory over Mandan in the quarterfinals and their 4-1 loss to Williston in the semifinals.
Freidt and Peterson defeated Bismarck's Ryan Lang and Tim Dodd, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), and beat Mandan's Lance Forsythe and John Jermanicheck, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2).
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"Freidt and Peterson played especially well," Johnsen said.
Taylor Bruhschwein defeated Mandan's David Long, 6-0, 6-0; scored Dickinson's only point against Williston with his 6-2, 6-1 victory over Cameron McFarlin and nearly blanked Bismarck's Eric Sorlie 6-1, 6-0.
The players being the individual tournament today.
The Midgets will take the West Region's third seed into the Class A state tournament, which begins Thursday, Sept. 28 in Fargo.
Johnsen said he liked the seed because if the Midgets would have been seeded fourth, they'd more than likely have to face Grand Forks Red River, which is far and away, the top team in the state.
"That's almost an automatic loss," Johnsen said.
