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FAIRBANKS — Monroe Catholic may have dropped a dual meet against Lathrop on Wednesday, but the Rams did win the marquee match of the day.

At No. 1 singles, Monroe sophomore Eric Ringstad rallied to defeat Lathrop senior Sean Sullivan 5-6, 6-1, 7-2 in a match where the hard-hitters relied on placement instead of power.

“It was neck and neck,” first-year Monroe coach Bobby Trujillo said. “They were both very cautious of their strokes because neither of them wanted to make a mistake.”

Lathrop swept the rest of the matches at the Dan Ramras Community Tennis Courts to take the meet, 6-1, and improve to a Mid Alaska Conference-leading 4-0. Monroe slipped to 0-2.

“As long as the kids are having fun, I’ll consider my first year of coaching a success,” Trujillo said.

The only other match to require a third-set tiebreaker was in mixed doubles, where Kade Fitzgerald and Anya Garrett of Lathrop teamed to top Jim Winfree and Cassie Ringstad 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

In other matches, Max Hesser-Knoll defeated Dan Bunten 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 boys singles; Becca Gryder edged Eilish Saunders 6-5, 6-5 at No. 1 girls singles; Annelise Bachelder blanked Megan Jones 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2; Zach Fitzgerald and Drew Lanning handled Joe Byrnes and Tyler Hill 6-0, 6-0 in boys doubles; and Lathrop won girls doubles by forfeit.

“For us being a small school, I thought that we competed with the big school,” Trujillo said.

West Valley sweeps

West Valley moved a doubles player to No. 1 boys singles and promoted a junior varsity girl in its 7-0 sweep of short-handed Eielson.

Due to low numbers on its team, Eielson was forced to forfeit four matches.

There was competitive play, however, in the matches that took place.

West Valley sophomore Caitlin Deutsch remained undefeated in conference with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Amber Harger.

“Her singles play has been terrific this year. She’s just very consistent,” Wolfpack coach Debbbie Miller said.

Lee Edwards, typically a doubles player, switched to No. 1 boys singles and beat Thomas Baldwin 6-2, 6-4.

Sophomore Amanda Holyfield, meanwhile, was moved up from JV and joined Aurora Roth in a 6-1, 6-5 doubles win over Amanda Williams and Krystal Madison.