Niwot tennis stands out in Granite Peaks League tournament

In a thrilling display of teamwork and skill, Niwot High School's No. 4 doubles team, Tyler Chivukula and Ollie Jones, emerged victorious in the Granite Peaks League Tennis Tournament held Sept. 27 at Niwot High School.

The pair started strong, defeating Erie High School with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Building on their momentum, the duo faced a tougher challenge against the Monarch High School duo, where they ultimately prevailed 6-4, 7-6, in a closely contested match.

In the final showdown, Jones and Chivukula dominated the first set against Fairview High School's Nimay Ankireddypalli and Om Vegesna, winning 6-0. Though Fairview mounted a comeback in the second set, the Niwot duo held firm to close out the match 6-4, securing their tournament victory.

Niwot's No. 1 Doubles, Rex Wallington and John Macintosh beat Monarch in their first match, 7-5, 6-0. The pair went on to defeat Erie 6-3, 6-3, before dropping the match against Fairview in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-2.

No. 2 Doubles Andrew Fong and Gabe Bandera also came out strong, defeating Riverdale Ridge High School in their first match, 6-1, 6-0, before falling to Centaurus High School in a three-set match in the quarterfinals, 0-6, 7-5, 6-2.

No. 3 Doubles Jack Peterson and Zhuming Haratsaris fell short in their first match against Silver Creek, losing in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Niwot's No. 1 singles player Sebastian Moy defeated Northglenn High School 6-0, 6-0, before moving on to defeat Broomfield High School in the quarterfinals 6-1, 3-6, 7-6. Moy then moved on to the semifinals where he faced Monarch's Troy Gomez.

Moy, who lost to Gomez in the semifinals, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2, battled cramping and fatigue but remained "upbeat despite the loss," said Assistant Coach Keith Wilcox. "I felt like he was the heart of our team."

Niwot's No. 2 singles player, Charlie Kirtland, defeated Horizon High School in his first match 6-3, 6-3, advancing him to the semifinals where he then defeated Monarch 6-4, 6-3.

In a thrilling finale to the No. 2 singles finals, Boulder High School senior Blake Curl emerged victorious over Kirtland, in a nail-biting three-set match and final score of 7-6, 1-6, 7-6. The championship came down to a tense third set, pushing both players to their limits before Curl clinched the tiebreaker and the win.

Niwot's No. 3 singles player Oskar Hansen defeated his Legacy High School opponent in his first match 6-2, 6-4. Hansen then defeated Boulder's player by a score of 6-2, 6-4, to move on to the semifinal match against a Fairview High School opponent.

Fairview's Charlie Gomulka started strong, defeating Hansen in the first set 6-4. However, Hansen came out even stronger in the second set with an impressive performance, winning, 6-1. The final set would clinch the win for Gomulka, with a final score of 6-2.

Next up for Niwot varsity tennis is the state tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 2, and Saturday Oct. 5, followed by a regional tournament at Niwot High School Oct. 9-10.