Cherry Creek mystique still strong for Bruins on quest for another boys tennis title
Aram Izmirian can see it in whenever he or his Cherry Creek teammates take the tennis court.
With few exceptions, opponents seem to tighten up whenever they face off against one of the Bruins, who own a strong psychological edge in addition to abundant talent up and down the lineup from No. 1 singles to No. 4 doubles.
The race for the Class 5A state team championship — which has been the domain of Cherry Creek for decades — will take on a different look this season with the advent of a 16-team dual team championship contested after the individual state tournament. Coach Art Quinn’s Bruins are likely to enjoy an edge against most teams in that as well, though the format may bring more contenders into play.
Izmirian enjoyed the absolute best season a Colorado prep tennis player could have in 2021, when he won the 5A No. 1 singles crown, which contributed greatly towards Cherry Creek’s 44th all-time state championship. The Bruins needed every point to hold off Valor Christian, which they topped by just six points.
Izmirian took down Regis Jesuit’s Conor Kaczmarczyk — who was playing in his fourth state championship match in as many seasons — 6-3, 7-6, in the final after he rallied from a set down to outlast Valor Christian’s Christian Trevey in the semifinals. That match proved key in the final results given the teams went into the final day tied.
The win also helped Izmirian erase some of the disappointment of a loss in the No. 3 singles final in his sophomore year, while he also won a state title at No. 1 doubles as a freshman in 2019.
The Bruins also return No. 3 singles champion Kiril Kostadinov, both members of the No. 1 doubles state championship team in Kris Kostadinov and Ainsley Elliott-Beagle, Matt Hu of the runner-up No. 2 doubles team and both of the state championship winners at No. 4 doubles in Charlie Stern and Jake Eikelberner.
Valor Christian had underclassmen at all three of its singles position last year, while Fossil Ridge and Regis Jesuit finished third and fourth in the team race last season. The Raiders (2000, 2018, 2019) and Fairview (2017) are the only teams other than Cherry Creek to win 5A state titles in the past 21 years.
In the new format, a 16-team dual tournament bracket will be announced on Sept. 23, with elimination play commencing on the way to a state championship dual match Oct. 18 at City Park in Denver.
“I think the environment is going to be a lot better, it’s going to be a lot more cheery and rowdy,” Izmiran said. “It’s going to be really fun to see, so I’m excited.”
The dual championship meet happens after the 5A individual state tournament, which will take place Oct. 13-15 at City Park.
