By BUTCH HARMON
Neither snow or rain or even the Bloomfield Hills tennis team was going to keep the Novi boys tennis team from repeating as state champions.
Playing inside at the Greater Midland Tennis Center to dodge the snow showers and cold outside, Novi and Bloomfield Hills battled to a tie for the Division 1 state title. Both teams finished with 26 points to share the state title while Ann Arbor Huron and Ann Arbor Pioneer placed third and fourth respectively.
Alex Wen led the way for Novi as he won the title at No. 2 singles. Sid Amarnath was a state runner-up at No. 3 singles while the No. 4 doubles team of Aakash Ray and Nayan Makim also placed second in the state for Novi.
DIVISION 2
Sharing was the name of the game in Division 2 as well as Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central tied Portage Central for the state title. Midland Dow finished three points behind in third place.
Michael Szabo led the way for Dow as he won the state title at No. 2 singles. At No. 3 singles Tyler Conrad of Dow placed second in the state as did his teammate Aditya Middha at No. 4 singles. In doubles action Dow’s No. 2 doubles team of JJ Kirkman and Noah Nichols also placed second in the state.
DIVISION 3
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood snapped Detroit Country Day’s string of state titles at the Division 3 finals at Hope College in Holland.
Country Day had won the previous four state titles before Cranbrook Kingswood snapped the skid. The Cranes totaled 38 points to outlast Country Day which finished with 30 points. Cranbrook Kingswood dominated the finals as it won all but two of the championship flights on the final day.
DIVISION 4
Ann Arbor Greenhills continued its dominance in Division 4 as the Gryphons captured their eighth consecutive state title at Kalamazoo College.
Greenhills totaled 37 points to outlast second-place Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett which totaled 29 points. Greenhills won three of the four singles flights and also claimed three of the four doubles flights.