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Tomhave earns another trip to state match

Cloquet senior Peter Tomhave is the Section 7A champion, again.

Individual sections play began Tuesday in Duluth at Longview Tennis Center where Tomhave, Cloquet's No. 1 singles player, steamrolled the opposition.

Tomhave demolished Hermantown's Nolan Brickson 6-0, 6-0 before moving on to defeat Marshall's Andrew Pavlova 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday. He capped that performance Wednesday, defeating Virginia's Joe Hafdahl in the semifinals, to advance to the championship match against Eveleth-Gilbert's Rob Licari, ultimately winning 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Tomhave will make his second consecutive trip to the Minnesota state tournament June 6-8.

Other CEC players saw some success in the individual tournament. No. 2 singles player Cade Bender also won his first round match in singles play, defeating Eveleth's Cole Anderson 6-0, 6-2 before falling 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals to No. 3 seed Dom Warzecha from Hibbing. Bender was seeded No. 6 before the tournament.

The No. 1 doubles team of Denny Genereau and Mason Langenbrunner (seeded No. 7) won their first round match, defeating a team out of Aitkin in two games, but then dropped their quarterfinal match in three sets to the No. 2-seeded team from Virginia. The Cloquet duo of Cal Pertler and Eli Benson (seeded No. 12) fell in their opening match of the tournament at No. 2 doubles to a team from Aitkin.

Each team sends two singles players and two doubles teams to individual sections; the top two in each category advance to the state tennis tournament.