This summer has turned out to be very prosperous for Monroe County tennis stand-out Michael Lesko of Columbia (senior, Gibault Catholic High School), according to his father and Hawks assistant coach Alan Lesko.

Fresh off of a sweet 16 finish at the multi-state USTA Outdoor Futures Boys 18’s Tennis Tournament in Columbia, Mo., last weekend and an earlier tourney win at the Webster Groves-St. Louis Boy’s 18’s Tournament just three weeks prior, Lesko added another tourney win to his summer tennis accomplishments.

The senior captured the USTA Belleville-Lancer Open Boys 18’s Tennis Tournament held this past weekend at Belleville East High School.  Using a strong attacking style, he overwhelmed Austin Mueller of Belleville in the final match on Sunday with a score of 6-1, 6-1.

The Lancer Open, held annually, attracts some of the best Metro-East high school tennis players, and this year was no different.

After a first round bye as the tournament’s No. 2 seed, he defeated Johnathan Coons of Edwardsville, 6-3, 6-4, on Friday.

Then in his semi-final match on Saturday, he ousted Jacob Hamilton of Belleville, 6-0, 6-7, 10-5(tiebreaker).  That set up the final against Mueller on Sunday, where Lesko captured the title.