5A boys state tennis: Broomfield’s Giovanni Intermesoli making the most of exchange year
DENVER — Broomfield’s Giovanni Intermesoli is here for the year, and he’s determined to make the most of it.
Intermesoli, an exchange student from Macerata, Italy, plans to be a three-sport athlete.
“He adds a heck of a lot,” Broomfield coach Jim Vogel said, recounting an exchange he had with someone early in the season. “He told me, ‘You’ve got a great team here, if we could just get a foreign exchange student.’ And low and behold, about three days into the season, he shows up.”
So far, Intermesoli’s campaign is off to a hot start. The junior advanced to the semifinals of the Class 5A state tennis tournament in the No. 2 singles spot. Intermesoli will face Fairview’s Ethan Schacht.
“He showed up, he had this old racket,” Vogel said. “It must’ve been 1,000 years old. He started playing, and I thought, oh gosh, this guy is going to be a player.”
A win in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) against Heritage freshman Chase Walters set Intermesoli up with a second-round match versus Grandview’s Illijah Bailey, who upset Pine Creek’s Luke Miller (6-3, 6-2) in the first round.
“He’s added a lot of fire,” Vogel said. “Our No. 1, 2 and 3 singles have beat eachother around and around. We had a hard time figuring out who was going to be No. 1, 2 and 3.”
Intermesoli knew what he was up against in Bailey in his quarterfinal matchup.
“I already played with him in regionals and won,” Intermesoli said. “I knew in the first set that he would play better than the last time.”
Bailey took the first set 6-2. Intermesoli’s teammates, sitting in the stands cheering him on like they did all day, rallied him.
“My teammates are the best in the world,” Intermesoli said. “I have the best team. I chose to come to Colorado, so I was lucky to be at Broomfield High School. It’s the best team ever.”
After a crucial point in the match, Intermesoli turned to his teammates and shouted, “Let’s go!” while encouring them to get loud, throwing his hands in the air.
Intermesoli took the second set 6-3.
“I played his game and helped him in (the first set),” Intermesoli said. “The second set, my coach said to play smarter and have less mistakes.”
And again, after taking the match (2-6, 6-3, 6-3), Intermesoli let out another, “Let’s go!” This time accompanied by a fist bump.
“My coach helps me a lot,” Intermesoli said. “I’m playing every day during the week. I practice every day.”
Vogel and Broomfield will miss that energy from Intermesoli on the court.
“We’ve had a great experience,” Vogel said. “Everybody has taken him in. He’s one of those people you want around.”
Intermesoli did have to make an adjustment on the court when he came to Colorado. In Italy, there are only clay courts, but he is playing his way through the tennis state tournament on hard courts.
“Here, there are only hard courts,” Intermesoli said. “In Italy, we only have clay courts. I like playing here.”
After tennis season, Intermesoli is looking forward to skiing as his second sport.
“Colorado is beautiful,” Intermesoli said, mentioning Vail Mountain. “I’m looking forward to skiing.”
As for his third? Well, that might have to wait until the season actually comes.
“I want to play baseball, but I’m bad at throwing,” Intermesoli said. “So I’m thinking maybe track.”
Other notes:
- Fairview, which qualified players at all seven positions, won every match on Thursday and ended the day as the tournament lead with 21 points. Cherry Creek is second with 19 points, and Regis Jesuit (18) sits third.
- Arapahoe junior Tyler Landen avenged a loss from earlier in the season when he knocked off Denver East senior Charlie Franks 7-5, 6-4 in the No. 1 singles bracket. Franks, runner up at No. 2 singles last season, had beat Landen 6-3, 6-2 in August.
- Landen will face Fairview’s Tom Melville. Ponderosa senior Ryan Neale will face Chatfield’s Christian Holmes on the other side of No. 1 singles.
- Regis Jesuit’s Kosta Garger and Boulder’s Everett Martin breezed through to the semifinals of No. 2 singles. They’ll face off in the morning.
- The cross-town rivalry between Boulder and Fairview will continue in the semifinals of No. 3 singles. Boulder’s Henry Hawk and Fairview’s Andy Wu moved on.
- Cherry Creek freshman George Cavo made his way into the semifinals of No. 3 singles. He’ll face another freshman in Regis Jesuit’s Phillip Albright.
- In the No. 1 doubles semifinal, Cherry Creek’s Sam Angell and Drew Hill will face Fairview’s Beck Chrisbens and Luke Silverman.
- Opposite them in the No. 1 doubles bracket is a matchup between Boulder’s Will Enterline and Hans Callanan and Regis Jesuit’s Will Dennen and Patrick Seby.
- No. 2 doubles has another semifinal matchup between Fairview and Cherry Creek. The Bruins’ Stone Heyman and Nick Eidler will play Fairview’s Aaron Nguyen and Hall Humphrey.
- The second No. 2 doubles semifinal matches Evan Nuss and Emilio Gonzalez-Cruz of Regis Jesuit with Cameron Lupo and Charlie Vanderberg of Broomfield.
- Jack Abbey and Jacob Frosch of Denver East will play Matthew McCarthy and Gabe Caldwell-Nepveux of Regis Jesuit in a No. 3 doubles semifinal.
- The other No. 3 doubles semifinal will match Zach Smith and Nick Svichar of Cherry Creek against Ryan Grayson and Kian Grimison of Fairview.
- Tyler Schoen/Devin Brownstein, Cherry Creek
- Another doubles semifinal comes down to Cherry Creek and Fairview. At No. 4 doubles, Tyler Schoen and Devin Brownstein will represent Cherry Creek. Reid Shaffer and Adam Heilbronner will represent Fairview.
- Matthew Mahoney and James O’Connor of Regis Jesuit will play George Weaver and Quentin Yamasaki from Denver East in the other No. 4 doubles semifinal.
