Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Qualifying the entire team for the state tournament is an almost unthinkable accomplishment for most tennis programs.

At perennial power West High pulling off the impressive district sweep has become almost an annual tradition.

Class 2A second-ranked West High qualified all four of its district entries for the state meet for the third consecutive season while claiming the district title on Wednesday at a sunny afternoon at West High.

“It’s amazing that all six players are able to go to state, it’s nothing that you can take for granted, it’s an honor to be able to do so, but I think it speaks to the depth of our team that we have six guys that are all at that level,” West High senior Mukundan Kasturirangan said. “It’s just an amazing thing that West has had there for several years now.”

Senior Eli Young won the singles title over teammate Jayden Shin and Kasturirangan and Luca Chackalala claimed doubles gold with a win over BJ Wolf and Samir Singh.

Both Young and Shin and both West High doubles teams qualified for the state tournament set for May 28-29 in Cedar Rapids.

“Getting everyone to state, it’s definitely the goal and I think it has become accustomed to our program,” Young said. “It really motivates us and prepares us for the state individual and team tournaments.”

West High swept the top two spots at districts in singles and doubles in 2018 and 2019.

After the pandemic cancelled spring sports last season the Trojans were as dominant as every in their district return on Wednesday.

“I think it is definitely a testament to the program that we’ve been able to have all West finals in the last three districts,” West High coach Mitch Gross said. “It says a lot about these kids.”

Kasturirangan and Chackalala didn’t drop a set while reaching the title match.

The doubles tandem defeated Mai Nye and Sam Motto of City High in the quarterfinals and downed Michael Mercer and Jackson Carlson of Burlington in straight sets in the semifinals.

Kasturirangan and Chackalala edged teammates Wolf and Singh 6-3, 6-2 in the title match and will be making their second consecutive state meet appearance as a doubles team after placing sixth two seasons ago.

“The way our team works we want to see everyone do well but there are things at stake here, winning districts has its benefits, so we want to win,” Kasturirangan said. “At the end of the day we know we are all teammates and we can compete hard in the moment and after the match is over we can go back to being teammates.”

Young and Shin both advanced to the finals with straight sets victories in the semifinals.

Shin defeated Clayton Ferguson of Ottumwa in the semifinals while Young downed Burlington senior Brendan Hale.

Young, who has spent the season playing number one singles for the Trojans, needed a third set to down his sophomore teammate who has played primarily in the fourth spot for West High this season.

Shin bounced back from a 6-4 loss in the opening set with a 7-4 win in the second-set tiebreaker.

However, Young completed the win with a 6-2 victory in the third set.

“It’s definitely tough,” Young said of playing a teammate. “I think it’s more mental than physical, it takes a tough person to beat their teammate but in the end we are good friends and we just push each other each time we play.”

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