(Atlantic) Kinnick Juhl and Nolan Waters of Atlantic were seeded third in the District Tennis meet at Atlantic on Wednesday and upended second-seeded Lucas Sun and Seth Zwickel of Shenandoah to earn a spot in the district final. The Trojan duo fell short to number #1 seeded Kayden Anderson and Brody Taylor and earned a spot in the state tourney as a runner-up.
Atlantic Head Coach Mike McDermott.
Coach McDermott says Kinnick and Waters played more aggressively today, which led to their success. They are more comfortable with each other since they have not played much together since the previous year.
The twosome defeated Lucas James and Matthew Means of Southwest Valley, 6-0, 6-2, and topped Gavin Millslagle and Lucas Rushing of Creston by the same score before upending Sun and Zwickle in the semi-finals. Anderson and Taylor handed the Trojan duo a 6-1,6-2 defeat in the finals, and both teams qualified for the State Meet.
Elsewhere for Atlantic in singles, Nick Bennett won the battle over Ethan Strunk of Red Oak, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 in the first round and fell short to Evan Zimmerman in the second match. Two-seed Christian Jensen of Lewis Central, a three-time state qualifier, defeated Gradyn O’Hara, 6-0, 6-0.
Coach McDermott says Nick Bennett played a good round of tennis today, and getting a win at the district tournament is a “big” deal for the senior. McDermott says O’Hara competed well despite the loss. He complimented Connor Johnson and Reid Woodward for their doubles victory in the first round over Parker Boswell and Slate Goodvin-Kinnaird of Southwest Valley 6-4, 6-4, before bowing to the doubles champion Anderson/Taylor. “It was a good day for Atlantic boy’s Tennis,” said Coach McDermott.
Results:
Singles
Nick Bennett 12 (A) def Ethan Strunk 9 (RO) 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3)
#4 seed Evan Timmerman 12 (SWV) def Nick Bennett 12 (A) 6-2, 6-0
#2 seed Christain Jensen 12 (LC) def Gradyn O’Hara 11 (A) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
Conner Johnson 11/Reid Woodward 11 (A) def Parker Boswell 12/Slate Goodvin-Kinnaird 12 (SWV) 6-4, 6-4
#1 seed Kayden Anderson 12/Brody Taylor 12 (G) def Conner Johnson11/Reid Woodward 11 (A) 6-2, 6-0
#3seed Nolan Waters 12/Kinnick Juhl 12 (A) def Lucas James 10/ Matthew Means 11 (SWV) 6-0, 6-2
#3seed Nolan Waters 12/Kinnick Juhl 12 (A) def Gavin Millslagle 12/ Lucas Rushing 12 (Cr) 6-2, 6-0
#3seed Nolan Waters 12/Kinnick Juhl 12 (A) def #2 seed Lucas Sun 10/Seth Zwickel 12 (S) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
#1 seed Kayden Anderson 12/Brody Taylor 12 (G) def #3seed Nolan Waters 12/Kinnick Juhl 12 (A) 6-1, 6-2
