The 2024 Monticello boys’ tennis team is having the best season in school history, they were co-champions of the Mississippi 8 with Becker and Cambridge-Isanti. It was just the third time in program history the Magic won a conference title and the first time since 2008.
After Monticello beat St. Michael-Albertville and Alexandria during the 2024 Section 8AA Team Boys’ Tennis Tournament, the Magic were the first team in school history to reach the team section final.
They lost to Becker in the section final but the Magic sent five kids to the individual section finals. Senior Ryan Schyma is the only player on the active team to have played in the Minnesota State High School League State Tournament.
Schyma played in the state tournament last year in the singles bracket a year after advancing to state in the doubles bracket with 2022 Monticello High School graduate Tyler Rousslang. Rousslang and Schyma were the first players to make the state tournament since Dylan Fyle in 2016. Zac Boergerding made it a decade earlier in 2006. David Carlson and Troy Gerber made it in 1990.
Six tennis players played in the individual section tournament and five advanced to the finals on Thursday. Ethan Kuhn and Schyma played in the singles bracket of the individual section tournament. William Kuhn and Caleb Kalnbach were one doubles pairing and Wyatt Hanson and Hayden Miller were the other doubles pairing.
Schyma and both doubles teams advanced to the individual section finals on Thursday and have a chance to join the shirtless of boys’ tennis players to represent Monticello in the state tournament.
Monticello hosted Willmar and STMA on Tuesday, May 14 for the South Subsection matches. The Magic played the Knights after STMA dispatched the Cardinals. Monticello beat STMA 4-3 and was one match away from the section final.
William Kuhn (No. 3 singles) beat Gavin Gerard and Matteus Sundine (No. 4 singles) beat Wyatt Skogsberg. After the singles matches split 2-2,
Monticello’s top two doubles pairings held down the fort. Miller and Hanson (No. 1 doubles) won in three sets. Rylan Feierabend and Kalnbach (No. 2 doubles) won in three sets to clinch the victory.
Monticello played Alexandria in the section semifinals and edged out another 4-3 win.
Schmya (No. 1 singles) won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and William Kuhn (No. 3 singles) won 6-2, 6-2 to split the singles matches again. Just like they did against STMA, the top two doubles pairings did what they needed to do to win Monticello boys’ tennis’ first-ever section semifinal victory.
Miller and Hanson (No. 1 doubles) easily won 6-0, 6-0. Feierabend and Kalnbach won in two, 7-5, 7-5.
Monticello advanced to the Section 8AA Final against Becker. During the regular season, the Magic fell 4-3 to the Bulldogs. In the section final, Becker won 5-2.
The top two doubles pairings beat Becker and went undefeated during team section play. Hanson and Miller won 7-5, 6-7 (2), 10-0. Kalnbach and Feierabend won 7-5, 6-2.
Ethan Kuhn started the individual section tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win but lost his next two matches. Schyma had a bye in the first round and won his second-round match 6-1, 6-0 and is the three seed for Thursday.
William Kuhn and Kalnbach won their first match 6-0, 6-2 and their second match 6=2, 6-2 in round two on their way to the four seed in the doubles bracket on Thursday. Miller and Hanson also had a first-round bye. In round two, they won 6-0, 6-4 and are a three seed for Thursday.
The Section 8AA Individual Boys’ Tennis Tournament Finals start at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at St. Cloud Tech High School. During his section run, Hanson hit 50 career wins. Miller sits at 49 before Thursday.
The MSHSL Class AA Boys Tennis State Tournament begins on Tuesday, June 4 at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center.
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