Prep Boys’ Tennis- The Southeast Conference tournament is in the books and Mt. Pleasant finished atop the regular season standings with an 8-0 record and three Panthers walked away with All-Conference honors.
Owen Vansickle entered the tournament as the #1 seed and made quick work of Brendon Worster of Keokuk to move into the semifinals. Carson Ziegler of Burlington was next on his list as Vansickle dispatched of him 6-3 and 6-1 leading to the top two seeds colliding in the finals. Vansickle had already defeated Hunter Ford of Burlington earlier in the season and history repeated itself. With the scores of 6-4 and 6-3, Vansickle claimed the gold and All-Conference honors.
Elliot Cook fell in the 3rd place match to Ziegler to claim 4th place, one spot outside of All-Conference honors. Ford and Ziegler grabbed All-Conference honors for Burlington.
In doubles, Jake Ensminger and Phoenix Watson for the Panthers entered as the #2 seed as they were destined to meet the #1 seed from Fairfield Garrett Flanagan and Jace Hannes in the championship round. Ensminger and Watson made quick work of the first-round opponent, but Shaye Stringer and Thomas Fell of Burlington almost came up with the upset as the second set went to a tiebreaker. The Panthers scrapped by with the win. Flanagan and Hannes had no trip-ups on their way to the championship bout and Ensminger and Watson threw everything they had at the duo but would come up short losing 6-4 and 6-3.
For Mt. Pleasant, Gavin Ross and Lou Schimmelpfennig lost to Stringer and Fell in the 3rd place match. So, the All-Conference honors went to 1st place Flanagan and Hannes, 2nd place Ensminger and Watson, and 3rd place Stringer and Fell.
Fairfield, Fort Madison, Keokuk, and Mt. Pleasant will compete at the District Meet on May 8th.