Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

ANKENY – In 20 seasons leading the West High tennis program Mitch Gross has racked up more than 300 wins, eight state titles and a lifetime worth of memories.

West High didn’t add to that title count on Tuesday but the Trojans did give their head coach a memory that won’t soon fade.

Second-ranked West High finished runner-up at the Class 2A state championships at Prairie Ridge Sports Complex in Ankeny on an epic day of tennis that lasted nearly 11 hours, featured an improbable comeback and ended with a 5-3 setback to top-ranked Waukee in the 2A title match.

“I will take this with me for the rest of my life, what they did today,” Gross said. “I know how hard it is what they did today.”

West High won all three doubles matches to rally past third-ranked Pleasant Valley 5-4 in a marathon semifinal that lasted more than six hours.

The win over Pleasant Valley (12-2) sent West High to the state championship match for the 10^th consecutive season.

“I told our guys I want to win more than anybody but they already won today,” Gross said. “I am just so proud of them. It’s like a fatherly pride. I’m proud and honored to be associated with them for the grit and determination they showed.”

West High attempted to pull off a similar Houdini act in the state title match.

Trailing 4-2 after singles the Trojans pulled to within 4-3 on a win by BJ Wolf and Samir Singh at number three doubles but Waukee closed the deal with a win at number two singles to secure its first state title after third-place finishes the past two seasons.

“I have all the respect for Waukee and they just said they were so glad this was against us, we are the team that everybody wants to beat,” Gross said. “It’s lonely at the top and we always have so many things going against us and yet we always find a way and we were close to finding another one today.”

A wild day for West High started in the semifinals.

Pleasant Valley led 4-1 and West High needed a late rally from Mukundan Kasturirangan at number three singles just to extend the match to doubles play.

Kasturirangan edged Nathan Barlow 7-4 in a third-set tiebreaker to extend the match.

“I knew we had it in us to pull it out and we were all confident going in that we could pull it out,” Kasturirangan said. “We were in a deficit but we all really believed we could win.”

The win from Kasturirangan provided a spark.

Eli Young and Jayden Shin earned a quick 6-0, 6-2 win over BradyAdams and Mazen Alsheikha at number two doubles.

Singh and Wolf evened the match at 4-4 with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over Luke Brunsvold and Gavin Pangan at number three doubles.

“Between singles and doubles of that first meet we really just gathered our wits and said this is it we have to put it all on the line and we went out there and did,” Wolf said. “I am crazy proud of these guys for being able to pull it together.”

Mukundan Kasturirangan and Luca Chackalackal completed the comeback with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win over Nathan Barlow and Jake Dolphin at number one doubles.

“A lot of people counted us out before we even played Pleasant Valley, then we were down 2-4 but we just kept on grinding and kept on working together,” Gross said. “Our theme all year was together again and we really came together at the right time to put ourselves in this position.

Top-ranked Waukee (15-0) got wins at number one, two and three singles and led 4-2 after singles play.

Singh and Wolf kept West High afloat with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Ayden Fletcher and Sai Rayasam at number three doubles but the long day and strong play from Waukee proved to be too much for West High to overcome.

“It was exhausting but incredible at the same time,” Young said. “I am incredibly proud of everyone on my team for just pushing forward after every setback. It was pretty amazing.”

West High closed the season 16-2 with both losses coming to Waukee.

“Today I am incredibly sad but I gave it my all, I have nothing left to give,” Kasturirangan said. “I think when I look back on today I will be proud of the memories that I made and how much effort I gave and that in the last meet of my career I left it all on the court.”

Class 2A Semifinal 

West High 5, Pleasant Valley 4

Singles

Jake Dolphin (PV) def. Eli Young 6-4, 7-6

Brady Adams (PV) def. Luca Chackalackal 6-3, 6-4

Mukundan Kasturirangan (ICW) def. Nathan Barlow 7-6 (3), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4)

Jayden Shin (ICW) def. Mazen Alsheikha 6-0, 6-3

Gavin Pangan (PV) def. Samir Singh 5-7, 7-5, 6-2

Luke Brunsvold (PV) def. Jonathan Fan 6-3, 6-4

Doubles

Kasturirangan/Chackalackal (ICW) def. Barlow/Dolphin 6-7, 6-3, 6-4

Young/Shin (ICW) def. Adams/Alsheikha 6-0, 6-2

Singh/BJ Wolf (ICW) def. Brunsvold/Pangan 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Class 2A Championship

Waukee 5, West High 3

Singles

Will Ecklund (WAU) def. Eli Young 6-4, 6-0

Kaden Taylor (WAU) def. Luca Chackalackal 6-2, 6-2

Quinn Monson (WAU) def. Mukundan Kasturirangan 6-7 (8), 6-2, 6-2

Jayden Shin (ICW) def. Ayden Fletcher 6-3, 6-0

Samir Singh (ICW) def. Steven Danna 6-3, 6-0

Sai Rayasam (WAU) def. Jonathan Fan 6-3, 6-4

Doubles

Kasturirangan/Chackalackal vs. Taylor/Monson DNF

Ecklund/Danna (WAU) def. Young/Shin 6-4, 6-3

Singh/BJ Wolf (ICW) def. Fletcher/Rayasam 6-0, 6-4

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