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The 9-0 win for top-ranked West High over No. 10 Cedar Rapids Washington on Wednesday seemed like just another impressive victory for the state’s premier tennis program.

This win though came with a little extra meaning.

The win over the Warriors on Wednesday at West High was career victory number 300 for long-time West High coach Mitch Gross who has turned the Trojans into a tennis giant in his 20 seasons leading the program.

Gross owns an impressive 300-36 career record in 22 seasons, with the last 20 of those years as a head coach coming at West High where he has turned the Trojans into the gold standard in Class 2A tennis.

West High has won eight state titles under Gross and has played in the Class 2A state title match every season since 2011.

Under the leadership of Gross, West High has won state titles in 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019 and has four runner-up finishes.

West High is off to another strong season this spring, improving to 2-0 with its 9-0 win over tenth-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington on Wednesday.

Eli Young defeated Grayson Zlystra 6-4, 7-5 in the best match of the afternoon at number one singles.

No other West High player lost more than a single game on Wednesday as Luka Chackalackal, Mukundan Kasturiunganan and Jonathan Fan all posted 6-0, 6-0 wins.

West High returns to action on Thursday at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

West High 9, Cedar Rapids Washington 0

Singles

1. Eli Young (ICW) def. Grayson Zlystra 6-4, 7-5

2. Luka Chackalackal (ICW) def. Nick Burkamper 6-0, 6-0

3. Mukundan Kasturiunganan (ICW) def. Wyatt Tjaden 6-0, 6-0

4. Jayden Shin (ICW) def. Ben Casey 6-0, 6-1

5. Samir Singh (ICW) def. Logan Sherman 6-1, 6-0

6. Jonathan Fan (ICW) def. Sam Lindwall 6-0, 6-0

Doubles

1. Chackalackal/Kasturiunganan (ICW) def. Zlystra/Burkamper 6-0, 6-0

2. Young/Shin (ICW) def. Tjaden/Kyle Wilson 6-0, 6-0

3. Singh/BJ Wolf (ICW) def. Casey/Thor White 6-2, 6-0

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