Mason honors boys tennis team after state championship; coach credits lineup change

The Mason City Schools Board of Education on Monday publicly recognized the boys tennis team for winning the state team championship. Coach Mike Reed told the board the title followed a season in which the staff adjusted the lineup to maximize the team’s strengths.

“We put together a lineup that gave us a possibility of winning the state tournament,” Reed said, describing moving players into doubles to capitalize on aggressive play and to create two likely point-winning positions. Reed described the decision as planned and tested in practice; he said it worked. “We got a state championship out of that,” he said.

The board invited team members to introduce themselves by position. Reed identified senior Greg Bernaski as the team’s No. 1 singles and said Bernaski also won the individual state singles tournament during the same finals weekend; the coach called Bernaski Mason’s third state singles champion. Students on the dais said the team had used the prior season’s early loss as motivation to work harder and bond as a team.

Board members praised players and coaches and invited the team to remain for a group photo. No board action was required; the recognition took place during superintendent presentations.

Why it matters: The recognition spotlights district athletics and schoolwide pride; coaches and administrators emphasized teamwork and staff support behind the title.

For now: The board said it will continue to recognize spring-sport state champions in future meetings.