Program best

Helias boys tennis second in Class 2 state tournament

SPRINGFIELD — The Helias Crusaders finished second Saturday in the Class 2 boys state tennis championships at the Cooper Tennis Complex.

It was the highest state finish in the history of the program. The Crusaders finished third in 1983 and finished fourth from 1990-92.

Helias posted a 5-2 victory against Cape Girardeau Notre Dame in Saturday morning’s semifinals.

The Crusaders swept the three doubles matches to start the dual. Ethan Foucheaux and Andrew Dowden won 8-1,

while Jonah Lanigan and Coen Loethen were 8-4 winners. Matthew Liebsch and Isaac Rackers won their doubles match 8-5.

Helias clinched the dual with singles victories from Foucheaux (6-1, 6-2) and Rackers (6-3, 6-3). Losing in singles were Dowden (0-6, 6-4, 4-10 tiebreaker) and Liebsch (0-6, 1-6). In matches that weren’t completed, Lanigan split two sets (4-6, 6-3) and led the tiebreaker 6-5, while Loethen led 7-6 (7-5) and 4-0.

In the title match, Helias dropped a 5-0 decision to Ladue.

In doubles, Foucheaux and Dowden lost 0-8, Lanigan and Loethen lost 1-8, and Lucas Woods and Rackers lost 3-8.

The dual stopped with the first two completed singles matches. Dowden lost 0-6, 0-6 and Caleb Porting fell 1-6, 0-6. In the matches that did not finish, Foucheaux trailed 1-6, 1-0, Lanigan trailed 0-6, 0-1, Loethen trailed 1-6, 1-0 and Rackers was behind 0-6, 0-3.

Helias ends at 18-2, the most wins in a season for the program.