North Penn's Buxbaum reaches state tennis semifinals

District 1 champion Mike Buxbaum of North Penn rolled into the state semifinals, losing only three games in four sets, Friday in Class AAA singles at the PIAA boys' tennis championships at the Hershey Racquet Club.

Buxbaum, a senior, shut out DuBois' Colton Ames, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round and routed Nicholas Ward of Cathedral Prep, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

Buxbaum was the only player from District 1 or 12 to reach the AAA singles semifinals. Council Rock North's Mike Stanley, La Salle's Christian Lutschaunig, and Conestoga's Brian Grodecki fell in the quarterfinals. Unionville's John Wu lost in the opening round.

One local doubles entry - seniors John Lim and Derek Sommers of West Chester Rustin - advanced to the AAA semifinals.

The District 1 champions, Lim and Sommers started with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over DuBois' Matt Fultz and Patrick Johnston and defeated Michael Prenovitz and Nate Estes of Cathedral Prep, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

Abington's Dan Tornea and Thomas Christian and La Salle's Peter DeWitt and R.J. Napolitano fell in the quarterfinals. Conestoga's Josh Sutker and Eric Yen and Radnor's T.J. Morgan and Andrew Lehr were defeated in the first round.

In Class AA, the two entries from Districts 1 and 12 that advanced past the first round lost in the quarterfinals.

Mitchell Harmatz of Lower Moreland was beaten by Blaise Casselbury of Lancaster Country Day, 6-2, 6-1, and the Holy Ghost Prep duo of Nate Fioravante and Brandon Fritze fell to Scranton Prep's Keller McGurrin and Peter Kazmierczak, 7-5, 6-4, in the quarterfinals.

Parkway Northwest's Chris Mack and Archbishop Carroll doubles players Tom Flamm and Pat Smith were ousted in the first round.

Semifinals and finals are scheduled for Saturday.