DEERFIELD — The Nantucket boys tennis team gave Frontier all it could handle in their MIAA Div. 4 Round of 32 showdown on Thursday at Deerfield Academy. 

The 18th-seeded Whalers made the journey to Western Mass. and left happy, pulling off a 5-0 win over the 15th-seeded Redhawks. 

Nantucket will come back west for its Round of 16 match, as the club will travel to play at No. 2 PVCICS.

Frontier coach Stephen Bryant said he is hoping this year will be a stepping stone for the Redhawks.

“It was fun,” Bryant said. “It was nice to get this far, especially in my first year and getting used to the team. It would have been nice to go a little further but hopefully next year we do better.”

Frontier’s Jacob Han had a close match against Boyan Kalpazanov at No. 1 singles. Kalpazanov continued to find an answer for what Han threw at him to come away with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph.

While disappointed in the loss, Han said he was proud of the way all his teammates fought on Thursday.

“It’s always tough to lose but I feel pretty good about how it went,” Han said. “I think we all played our hearts out. As long as we play how we wanted to play, I think it’s OK to lose. They’re a good team.”

It was Kalpazanov’s ability to stay calm under pressure and find an answer for any problem he faced that impressed Han the most.

“He was really resilient and consistent,” Han said. “Even after some setbacks or when I’d win some points, he’d bring it right back at me. I saw it in the first set and the second set. He really had a great game.”

A senior, Han said he’ll enjoy the memories of getting to compete in the state tournament.

“It’s amazing,” Han said. “We’re always glad to be here every year. This is my last year and it’s a little sad. It’s nice to be here and I’ll always remember it.”

Robert Fuqua fell at No. 2 singles (6-1, 6-1), Brayden Reipold lost a close match at No. 3 singles (7-5, 6-3), Oliver Brown and Caiden Manning fell in No. 1 doubles (6-1, 6-0) while Donovan Vichi and Noah Nichols were bested at No. 2 doubles (6-2, 6-2) for Frontier.

Throughout the season, Bryant said he’s seen his players improve each time on the court. 

“Everybody has grown leaps and bounds,” Bryant said. “They’ve jumped skill-wise and are completely different from where they were at the beginning of the season. They’re hitting harder and more consistent, they’re playing smarter on the court, they have more weapons to choose from. Everybody grew a lot throughout the season.” 

Track and Field

Meet of Champions

The 2024 MIAA Meet of Champions got underway on Thursday at Fitchburg State, with a pair of local athletes competing. 

Athol’s Nicholas LeBlanc qualified in the boys discus and placed 11th with a top throw of 150 feet, 6 inches. Mahar’s Mitchell Krasco qualified and competed in the boys triple jump Thursday, placing fifth with a top jump of 44 feet even. Both were personal bests.  

The meet will continue on Saturday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. 

Boys volleyball

Div. 4 Prelims

No. 35 Sci-Tech 3, No. 30 Frontier 0 — The CyberCats pulled out a close win in the opening set and carried that momentum into the ensuing two sets to pull off a 28-26, 25-23, 25-19 victory over the Redhawks in the MIAA Div. 4 preliminary round at Goodnow Gymnasium on Thursday. 

“Not the way we wanted the season to end,” Frontier co-coach Courtney Parent said. “Just made too many errors tonight. Proud of the team this year and we will miss our seniors.” 

Aleks Carey put down 15 kills, Jack Carey smashed eight kills, Tegan Dexter recorded five kills while Tavo Vincent-Warner dished 27 assists for the Redhawks.