Updated June 13, 2026, 11:53 p.m. CT
- The Whitefish Bay boys tennis team won the WIAA Division 1 state championship, its first since 2002.
- The Blue Dukes defeated No. 2 seed Middleton 5-2 in the final match to cap a 27-1 season.
- Whitefish Bay’s victory was secured by dominant doubles play and key wins in singles matches.
MADISON – Joy. Pride. Grit.
The Whitefish Bay boys tennis team exemplified all three attributes June 13 when it lived up to its billing as the No. 1 seed at the WIAA state tournament by clinching the Division 1 state championship with a 5-2 victory over No. 2 seed Middleton at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
The championship was the Blue Dukes’ first since 2002. For all you history buffs, the title was Bay’s seventh overall, the fourth-most all-time. The win also snapped a historic run for the Greater Metro Conference, which had produced the last 18 Division 1 state champions.
The victory over Middleton included a dominant display in doubles, a comeback win at No. 1 singles and a determined effort at No. 2 singles.
With the final, Bay finished the season 27-1 with a WIAA state tournament run that also included a 7-0 victory over Hudson in the quarterfinals June 12 and a 5-2 win over No. 4 seed Marquette in the semifinals June 13.
“I think the biggest thing is in those clutch moments our team really pulls through,” senior Asher Schutz said. “I’m so happy. This is such a incredible moment.”
Bay doubles set tone while singles punctuate day
The final marked Whitefish Bay’s second 5-2 win over Middleton this season.
The foundation of this victory was the Blue Dukes’ play at doubles where senior Tyler Emory and Schutz as well as the No. 2 team of sophomore Drew Schneider and junior Hugo Boyden and the No. 3 team of senior Nathan Buchholz and sophomore Will Savage won in straight sets. Only once did Bay’s doubles comes come close to losing a set, and in that case Schneider and Boyden responded with a 6-1 victory in the second.
All the seniors in the lineup played doubles.
“The seniors have been incredible leaders for this program,” Bay coach Nick Puibello said. “When I started, they were freshmen in 2023 and it meant everything to go on this ride with them and bring them along and have them play well in the final.
“It’s one thing to be a good tennis player and play well, but when you play well when it matters the most that’s just really special.”
Thanks to those wins at doubles, Bay led, 3-2, with No. 1 and 2 singles left. But with Blue Dukes’ sophomore Grant Schaefer facing state runner-up Alex Bo at No. 1 singles, the team’s best chance of closing out the win rested on the shoulders of Kenny Zhang.
The freshman, who was the No. 11 seed at individual state, beat fellow freshman Tianmu Pei, 6-1, in the first set, but found himself in a battle in the second set with not only his opponent but with muscle cramps.
Holding a 6-5 lead in the second set, he went down with a severe leg cramp that forced him to take a medical timeout. Zhang eventually closed out the win on his fourth match point, falling to the court due to more cramps after a brief celebration.
He lay on the court receiving treatment for an hour before leaving with the aid of a wheelchair.
Later he explained how dire the situation was.
“I just knew that if I couldn’t win the game for the match on the spot, there was like no way I could have won the entire thing,” said Zhang, who was still experiencing muscle spasms after the trophy presentation. “I just kind of pushed everything into it with my team (behind me) and I fought to the end.”
That was the win that clinched the state championship, but in hindsight it wasn’t necessary for the victory because Schaefer upset Bo at No. 1 singles, coming back to score a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 15-13 win in the final match of the day.
“Grant was able to put an exclamation point on our season,” Puibello said. “He lost to Bo twice (this year). He told me before the match he wasn’t confident in his chances. I said, just go out there and have some fun and the rest will take care of itself.”
A season of championships for Whitefish Bay
The Blue Dukes championship team also included sophomore Junran Feng at No. 3 singles and freshman Luke Schmidt at No. 4 singles. Both players won their matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The win completed a magical year for Whitefish Bay High School.
The Blue Dukes also won state championships in boys soccer, boys and girls basketball and boys and girls swimming.
The sixth championship came one day before graduation.
“Tomorrow’s going to be nuts because we graduate and I have my grad party so hopefully (Emory) will be there and with the whole team,” Schutz said. “We’re really going to celebrate, and tonight’s going to be amazing.”
This story was updated to add videos.
