The Cambridge-Isanti boys tennis team has had a season filled with highs and lows. Head coach Thea Lowman has remained a proud coach through it all, citing her team’s attitude and heart for the game.
On May 6, the boys played in a triangular meet in Coon Rapids. They were tasked with matches against Coon Rapids, North Branch and Osseo.
Their first draw, was a close match with Osseo, and as Lowman put it, “this one was a nail biter.”
Sophomore Wyatt Jones dominated his singles sets, winning them 6-3, and 6-0 respectively. The doubles teams of Kenny Knudson with Matthew Didier, and Ethan Roddy with Rigo Mork both pushed their matches to super-tie-breakers. In the end, they fell just short, losing to Osseo 4-3.
Next up for the day was Mississippi 8 Conference foe North Branch. Lowman was pleased with how her team bounced back after such a close loss.
“After losing a super tight 3-4 match to North Branch during the second match of our season and then again just two days ago, the guys were definitely looking forward to a rematch with them,” she said. “The close matches of the last few days really helped our mental toughness and competitive spirit going into this North Branch match. The growth of our point-building knowledge, confidence and patience on the courts was obvious during this rematch.”
The singles players stepped up big, as senior Jay Gislason, Jones and freshman Jacob Zacharias all scored points. The boys rallied to find their first win of the tournament, taking down the Vikings, 5-2.
The final match of the day came against host Coon Rapids. Again, it was Zacharias and Jones who were making strong scoring efforts during their matches. Zacharias found a way to score for the team, while Jones fell in a close 9-11 set. The boys were unable to rekindle the magic they had against North Branch, and lost 6-1.
Since their big tournament, the boys have been on a hot streak to end the season. They won back-to-back matches on May 8, and 9 against Duluth Denfeld (7-0) and Princeton (6-1) respectively.
The boys played the final match of their regular season on May 11 in Rogers, where they fell to the Royals 2-5.
Beating Princeton and North Branch during the last week of the season moved the Bluejackets up to seventh place in the Mississippi 8 Conference with a record of 2-6. St. Michael-Albertville took home the top spot with a perfect 9-0 record.
The Section 7AA Tournament will be held in Elk River on May 20. The finals will also be in Elk River on May 25.