Pioneers again earn trip to state tournament

Lawrence Eyre and the Pioneer boys are headed back to the final four of Class 1A team tennis.

That much was decided in nearly as little time as possible in substate action at the Punj Tennis Center courts Saturday. Maharishi School cruised past Chariton 5-0 in the substate semifinal and Pella 5-1 in the final to earn an unprecedented eighth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

The Pioneers (9-1) are part of the final four for the 15th time in 25 years under Eyre and are now on a mission to do one better than last season, when they finished state runner-up. Joining them at Walker-Johnston Park in Urbandale May 29 to decide the Class 1A team champion will be Davenport Assumpion, Boone and St. Edmond Fort Dodge.

The Pioneers shot out of the blocks quickly Saturday in their first matchup vs. Chariton, winning five matches in a little over one hour.

Pioneer No. 1 Sam Arsanjani, also a qualifier in state singles, topped Dustin Decker of Chariton by a final of 6-2, 6-0. Doubles state qualifier Thomas Weiss picked up a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 2, and Raphael Gelfand easily won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4. Solaris Nite won 6-1, 6-1 and Surya Sawhney posted a 6-0, 6-0 victory to clinch the match in singles play.

Freshman Sam Stickels was up 6-4, 1-0 at No. 3 singles when Maharishi School secured the dual win to advance to play Pella, which moved past Keokuk 5-2 in the semifinal round.

Against the Little Dutch, things weren?t quite as easy for the Pioneers. Arsanjani won a second-set tiebreaker to secure a 6-0, 7-6 victory, and Gelfand rallied for a third-set 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win. Along with those two victories, Weiss (6-0, 6-2), Stickels (6-2, 6-0) and Nite (6-2, 6-3) all won in straight sets to push the Pioneers through in Eyre?s final season at the helm.

But before Maharishi School goes for another state team title, Arsanjani, Weiss and Stickels will play the state singles and doubles tournament May 25-26 at Byrnes Park in Waterloo.