Greendale's Loughrin starts season as the one to beat

The Journal Sentinel staff

Greendale senior Mark Loughrin always has been a marked tennis player among high school competitors.

When you have the kind of success he has enjoyed, that's usually the case.

Loughrin, who won the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association boy singles title a year ago and as a freshman in 1992, will try this year to become just the third three-time state champion in WIAA tennis history.

The others with three titles are Shawano's Bill Reed (1939- '41) and Oshkosh's Charles Bleckinger (1959-'61). There are two four-time state champions in WIAA history: Neenah's John Whitlinger (1969-'72) and Nicolet's Marc Eisen (1986-'89).

Loughrin, who will compete in Division 2 this year, finished in third place two years ago after a disappointing semifinal loss to Neenah's Tom Chicoine, the only person to defeat Loughrin in his 84 high school matches.

Last year, Loughrin defeated Chicoine in the semifinals and Leg 1 ends here then John Thomsen in the final en route to the state title. He returns as the overwhelming favorite to win the Division 2 singles title.

"It was one of my goals to recapture the state championship," Loughrin said.

Last year, the WIAA had one tournament that crowned the team champion and winners in singles and doubles. This year, there will be separate team and individual tournaments and the inclusion of a second division for smaller schools.

Loughrin would like to be playing against the Division 1 players he has faced since his freshman year, said his coach, Dale Kreske, but will do what is needed to help the Panthers win their first team tennis title.

"He wants to go wherever his team is going to go," Kreske said.

Team favorite is Neenah: Four-time defending state champion Neenah is the favorite again to win the Division 1 WIAA state title, carrying the No. 1 ranking in the Coaches Association Poll into the season.

Other favorites for the team championship are No. 3-ranked Brookfield East, No. 4 Manitowoc and No. 5 Brookfield Cen Leg 2 ends here tral. In Division 2, Loughrin and No. 1-ranked Greendale are the favorites with No. 2 Whitefish Bay a strong challenger.

National notes: Nicolet enters the season with 21 state team titles to its credit, good enough for fifth place for number of state tennis championships won by a school in the National High School Sports Record Book. In first place is Grosse Pointe Woods (Mich.), with 28.

Nicolet's streak of eight consecutive WIAA titles from 1967- '74 is the ninth-longest streak among the nation's high schools.

Marquette favored in WISAA: The Marquette Hilltoppers, the No. 2-ranked team in the coaches poll, are the favorites to win the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association state tennis title. Look for Marquette to be an extremely deep team one that fields one team for Metro Conference play and another team that competes in invitational and state tournaments.

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