Jul. 10—ST. PAUL — Owen Lappinga won’t stop playing tennis.
The rising sophomore at Bemidji High School competed at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s summer tournament.
Lappinga won the 16U singles consolation bracket, finishing with a record of 4-1.
Of the 11 divisions youth tennis players competed in at the Lumberjack Open, nine of them have been completed.
The annual youth tournament held during the first week in July in Bemidji is still waiting to crown 18U boys and girls doubles winners. Elena Peterson and Sam Wood will play against Elizabeth Peterson and Lilly Caron.
Boys doubles teams of Max Louvar and Jack McNallan, Dom Arndt and Ethan Frank, and Lucas Rantanen and Spencer Hempel are one match short of their respective standings being finalized this week. The tournament was originally postponed due to weather.
The remaining nine divisions all have victors.
Asher Green of Grand Forks won the Boys Navy Singles competition, with Minot’s Nolan Callahan and Lappinga finishing second and third, respectively. Elliot Spahn of Grand Rapids won the Boys Silver Singles bracket, while teammate Jax Colter and Moorhead’s Drew Hancock rounded out the top three.
Minot’s Brayden Callahan won the Boys Bronze Singles and Middle School Singles contest, followed by Brainerd’s Levi Aadland and Buffalo’s Riley Salonek.
Elena Peterson won the Girls Navy Singles competition, with Staples-Motley’s Ronnie Noska, Mora’s Addy Axtell and Elizabeth Peterson behind her. Brainerd’s Brooke Mulholland took first place among Girls Silver Singles players, with Branne Ellison of Thief River Falls, Emma Axtell of Mora and Wood rounding out place winners.
Bemidji’s Ivy Blumenshein took first in the Girls Bronze Singles category. Teammates Elly Hodapp and Amelia Vernlund also finished in the top three. East Grand Forks’ Lola Bina, Staples-Motley’s Charlie Noska and Bemidji’s Piper Whiting claimed the top three spots in the Girls Middle School Singles bracket.
Addy and Emma Axtell claimed the top spot in the Girls 16U Doubles competition over TRF’s Kaitlyn Jahn and Charleigh Hamre.
The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
