Panthers blister Bloodhounds in boys tennis

MT. PLEASANT — The Mt. Pleasant boys tennis team took no prisoners on Monday in a Southeast Conference matchup with Fort Madison. The Panthers swept the Bloodhounds 9-0 to stay unbeaten in league play.

Fort Madison had just five players, so the Panthers had a pair of forfeit wins. Gavin Ross won via forfeit in the No. 6 singles match, and Ross and Lou Schimmelpfennig took a forfeit in the No. 3 doubles match.

In matches that were played out, the Panthers won everything by eight points or better. That included a pair of victories in the top singles matches, as Owen Vansickel cruised 10-1 in the No. 1 match, and Levi Graber won the No. 2 match 10-1 as well.

In the No. 3-5 matches, Elliot Cook, Tim Cam and Schimmelpfennig all swept. The Panther trio all pulled out 10-0 victories.

Vansickel and Graber dominated the No. 1 doubles match, winning 10-0. Cook and Cam were relatively challenged in the No. 2 match, winning 10-2.

Mt. Pleasant wasn’t so lucky on the girls’ side. The Panthers fell 6-3 in Fort Madison.

The Panthers’ No. 1 singles player, Savana Walls, rallied from down 5-0 but came up short 8-5. The Panthers did pick up two singles wins, as Melanie Olivas got her first varsity singles victory 8-4 in the No. 2 match, and No. 4 Ellie Situmeang came from behind to win 8-6.

Malena Yocum fell in a tight contest, 8-6, in the No. 3 singles match. No. 5 Victoria Smith fell 8-0, and Mary Kate Peterson dropped her No. 6 match 8-2.

In doubles, Walls and Olivas picked up an 8-2 win in the No. 1 match. Yocum and Situmeang fell 8-5 in the No. 2 match, and Smith and Peterson fell 8-0 in the No. 3 match.