Boys tennis: Ponies place fourth in section singles, doubles tournaments

MINNEAPOLIS — Knocking on the door in both singles and doubles, Stillwater’s remaining entries were stopped in the semifinals of the individual Section 4AA tournaments on Thursday, May 23 at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center.

Fourth-seeded Carter Magistad finished fourth in the singles tournament and the team of West Dell and Dustin Jurca also landed fourth in the doubles tournament to finish a productive season for the Ponies.

Mahtomedi and Mounds View, which also met in the finals of the section team tournament, claimed all four individual state tournament bids. Sam Rathmanner and Brandon Pham finished 1-2 in singles for the Zephyrs and Mahtomedi also won the doubles with Jack Allaben and Aidan Wald.

Mounds View’s doubles team of Parker Bryntesen and Nolan Jones, who defeated Dell and Jurca 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) in the semifinals, won the match for true second to secure the other spot in the state doubles field.

Dell and Jurca, who were the No. 6 seed after playing singles throughout most of the season, were defeated by Mounds View’s Sidharth Sharma and Max Daigle 6-3, 6-1 in the third-place match.

It was another close call for Magistad, who was seeking to become Stillwater’s first individual state qualifier since Ben Herrington-Gilmore in 2008. After a first-round bye and victories in his first two matches on Day 1 of the tournament on May 22, the senior and Biola University recruit was blanked by Rathmanner 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals. Rathmanner is ranked second in the Class AA individual state coaches poll.

No. 2 seed Soren Swenson of Mounds View also turned back Magistad 6-1, 6-3 in the third-place match.

Magistad placed third in the section singles tournament a year ago, to go along with section semifinal appearances in doubles with Dylan Magistad. The brothers placed fourth in 2021 and third in 2022.

Stillwater results

Singles

#4 Carter Magistad (2-2, 4th place) — lost to #1 Sam Rathmanner (Mah) 6-0, 6-0; lost to #2 Soren Swenson (MV) 6-1, 6-3. Finals: Rathmanner (Mah) def. #3 Brandon Pham (Mah) 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles

#6 West Dell-Dustin Jurca (2-2, 4th place) — lost to #2 Parker Bryntesen-Nolan Jones (MV) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4); lost to #4 Sidharth Sharma-Max Daigle (MV) 6-2, 7-6; Finals: #1 Jack Allaben-Aidan Wald (Mah) def. #2 Bryntesen-Jones (MV), 6-4, 6-3; True 2nd: #2 Bryntesen-Jones (MV) def. #4 Daigle-Sharma (MV) 6-3, 6-1.