Just when it appeared the Durango High School boys tennis team would not be participating at the 2019 Colorado High School Activities Association’s Class 4A state tournament, Aedan Hall and Kai Skowlund had one last match in them.
The No. 1 doubles team at DHS squared off against Vail Christian’s Nate Anderson and Nate Nabonsal in a playback match for their chance at state. They recorded their biggest victory of the season, winning in three sets, 6-4, 4-6 and 6-4.
“It was a super-tight match, but also some of the best tennis we played all season,” Hall said.
Skowlund knew that if they played their cards right, they would get their shot to play at state.
“We definitely had all of the aspects of our game put together,” Skowlund said. “We were doing really well with our serves, our ground strokes were really good and, most importantly, we really had our game strategy together. We were able to play beyond the fundamentals.”
The duo are the lone representatives from DHS, as No. 1 singles player Elias Fiddler and No. 3 doubles team of Sam Rodgers and Charlie Michel came up short last Friday at the Class 4A Region 8 tournament in Grand Junction, after finishing third in their respective brackets.
Hall and Skowlund beat Steamboat Springs’ top doubles team for the third time this season 6-4, 7-5 in their opening match, but lost to Aspen’s Lukee Tralins and Georges Ghali, 6-0, 6-1. In the first playback round, they beat Basalt’s No. 1 duo, 6-4, 7-5.
Tralins and Ghali took out Anderson and Nabonsal for the regional title, and since Durango had not played Vail Christian yet, the playback match opportunity arose, and the duo took their chance.
“The challenge match came up, and everyone was super tired,” said DHS head coach Todd Jolley. “(Vail Christian) was getting frustrated, and double-faulted way too many times for that level. I’m proud of Aedan and Kai for battling the whole match. It came after a super long day of tennis, and they went out there and performed brilliantly.”
Skowlund and Hall had played in a number of three-set matches already this season, and when the state-qualifying match went to a winner-take-all third set, Hall said he was ready.
“Normally, we can capitalize on the third set,” said Hall, who will be returning to state for a second consecutive season. “If we can bring it to the tiebreak, we can take advantage of it. When our match against Vail Christian came to the third set, all we said was, ‘We’ve got this.’ That was it, and we went on to win.”
While the duo have succeeded in tiebreakers partly because of their play on the court, Jolley said their mental fortitude late in matches has also been impressive.
“What changed for them was their mental game and their discipline,” Jolley said. They were really dedicated, taking things more seriously than anyone else at every step of the way. They don’t get frustrated in the middle of the match when they’re down. They just fight harder and take it point by point. Aedan and Kai have one of the best mental games of anybody on the team.”
Come Thursday, the duo will have a tough opponent in the first round, Jack Domich and Casey Klutznick of Kent Denver. Skowlund said that no matter the result, he is looking forward to competing at a high level, and he believes that with effective communication and chemistry, the duo will prove to be a tough opponent.
“I’m looking forward to playing new teams for sure,” Skowlund said. “No matter what the outcome is, as long as we play our game, any time we can do that, we’re always happy. As long as we feel we’re playing well, that’s definitely a positive outcome. Our communication at the net has been really good all year, we always know our spots, and if we can keep playing like we have, I think we can do well at state.”
bploen@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes: Kai Skowlund
What is your favorite movie?:
“The Edge of Tomorrow”
Who is your favorite artist?:
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
What is your favorite local restaurant?:
Zia Taqueria
Do you have a favorite childhood book?:
“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling
Who is your favorite professional athlete?:
Nick Kyrgios
What is your favorite local outdoor activity?:
Biking Horse Gulch
Do you have a dream vacation?:
Japan to go skiing
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick?:
The ability to fly because it’d be fun, and you wouldn’t have to pay for plane tickets.
What teacher has had the biggest impact on you?:
Ms. Sasha Creeden for environmental sciences. That class got me interested in the subject.
Who is your role model?:
My parents because they help me with everything, and are really supportive of me both in school and in sports.
Behind the scenes: Aedan Hall
What is your favorite movie?:
“Happy Gilmore”
Who is your favorite artist?:
Ed Sheeran
What is your favorite local restaurant?:
Macho’s Fast Mexican Food
Do you have a favorite childhood book?:
The “Percy Jackson” series by Rick Riordan
Do you have a dream car?:
An Audi R8
Who is your favorite professional athlete?:
Pavel Datsyuk from the Detroit Red Wings.
What is your favorite local outdoor activity?:
Skiing Upper Hades at Purgatory.
Do you have a dream vacation?:
Spain because I know quite a bit of Spanish, and it’d be fun to work with that.
If you could have any superpower, what would you pick?:
Invisibility because you could go places you normally couldn’t go, and do things you probably wouldn’t be able to normally do.
What teacher has had the biggest impact on you?:
Mr. Todd Jolley and Ms. Creeden because I can look up to them because of their views on life, and you can look up to them for not just academic needs. They’re just people that you can talk to.
Who is your role model?:
My guitar instructor, Fred Kosak at iAM Music. As a musician, he helps me out a lot and is a huge role model in that field.
