Region 10 boys tennis: Dixie wins 3 tourney brackets to claim region title; Crimson Cliffs takes 2nd

Written by Jeff Richards
May 14, 2023
Max Miner of Crimson Cliffs competes in finals of No. 1 singles at Region 10 tennis tournament, St. George, Utah, May 13, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Dixie Flyers won the Region 10 tennis championship on Saturday after placing finalists in all five brackets at the region tournament.

L-R: Austin Beckstrom and Ari Fackrell of Dixie compete in finals of No. 1 doubles at Region 10 tennis tournament, St. George, Utah, May 13, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

With three first-place winners and two runners-up, the Flyers ended up scoring seven team points, while second-place Crimson Cliffs finished with 13 total points (the better the finish, the lower the points). Crimson Cliffs captured the other two brackets, with brothers Max Miner and Adam Miner winning the No. 1 and No. 2 singles categories, respectively.

The two-day tournament was staged at Pine View High School instead of Tonaquint Tennis Center because Tonaquint’s courts are in need of resurfacing and were deemed unplayable.

“It was a great weekend for the Flyers,” Dixie head coach Christian Wright told St. George News afterward. “There were many hard-fought matches all down the line.”

Wright also thanked all the parents and other fans who came out to watch the matches both days.

“They were treated to some entertaining tennis,” he said.

In the first singles bracket, Crimson Cliffs junior Max Miner defeated Dixie’s Luke Jolley in the finals, 6-2, 6-1. Last year, when he played for Crimson Cliffs, Jolley had taken state in No. 2 singles as a freshman. 

Adam Miner of Crimson Cliffs competes in finals of No. 2 singles at Region 10 tennis tournament, St. George, Utah, May 13, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Meanwhile, on the adjacent court, Crimson’s Adam Miner, a freshman, defeated Dixie senior Caleb Kroll, 6-3, 6-2, to win the No. 2 singles final.

And in third singles, the finals match featured Dixie junior Gavin Bishop vs. Desert Hills freshman Brexan Wittwer, with Bishop prevailing, 6-3, 6-0.

The closest finals match of the day came in No. 1 doubles, where Dixie’s Ari Fackrell and Austin Beckstrom outlasted Snow Canyon’s Bryce Jensen and Braden Koch in three sets, 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2. Koch and Jensen are the defending state champions in first doubles.

Those same two schools also met in the second doubles final, where Dixie’s Garrett Bishop and Michael Winward defeated Snow Canyon’s Andrew Ord and Bryce Christiansen, 6-2, 6-1.

After the finals matches had been decided Saturday morning, the various consolation matches were staged to decide third through sixth places. The region trophy and other awards were not handed out on Saturday but will be presented at a later date, officials said.

“I’m very proud of the work each individual team member put out on the court this weekend,” coach Wright said. “It was a strong team effort.”

“We’re looking forward to the opportunity to compete at the state tournament next weekend at Liberty Park and expect great competition,” he added.

“Dixie is the team to beat at state this year,” added Crimson Cliffs head coach Colin Brown, who nevertheless said he expects the Miner brothers, along with the rest of the Mustangs, to be strong contenders in their respective brackets.

The Mustangs are the two-time defending state 4A champions, seeking their third straight title.

The state 4A tournament, which will involve the 13 schools comprising Regions 10 and 11, is scheduled for May 19-20 at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City. The 4A brackets are scheduled to be revealed on Tuesday and will be posted on the Utah High School Activities Association’s website.

Region 10 tournament team results

May 12-13, Pine View High School

  1. Dixie, 7.
  2. Crimson Cliffs, 13.
  3. Desert Hills, 16.
  4. Snow Canyon, 16.
  5. Pine View, 26.
  6. Cedar, 29.
  7. Hurricane, 33.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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