MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ tennis team’s outstanding season came to an end in a Division I quarterfinal on Saturday, when visiting No. 7 St. Johnsbury dealt the No. 2 Tigers their first loss, 5-2.
The Tigers finished at 10-1, while the Hilltoppers, who played more D-I competition this spring than the Tigers, advanced to the semifinals with an 11-3 record.
Bright spots for MUHS were the victories by underclassmen Ziven McCarty and Jesse Rubin in the Nos. 3 and 5 singles slots, respectively. They and junior Owen Hammel should return to anchor the team in 2017 with the graduation of top singles players Nick Holmes and Jon Fitzcharles and successful doubles partners Max Mayone and Ben Silver.
The individual results were:
•  At No. 1 singles, Guy Sahawat (SJ) defeated Holmes (MUHS), 6-2, 6-1.
•  At No. 2 singles, Gabe Seaver (SJ) defeated Jon Fitzcharles (MUHS), 7-5, 6-0.
•  At No. 3 singles, McCarty (MUHS) defeated Avery Caterine (SJ), 6-2, 6-4.
•  At No. 4 singles, Takanori Tanifuji (SJ) defeated Hammel (MUHS), 6-0, 6-2.
•  At No. 5 singles, Rubin (MUHS) defeats Sam Coyle (SJ), 7-6, 6-2.
•  At No. 1 doubles, Andrew Burroughs and Erik Weiss (SJ) defeated Silver and Mayone (MUHS), 6-1, 6-2.
•  At No. 2 doubles, Herbert Durfee and Tony Lei (SJ) defeated Ryan Miller and Ronan Howlett (MUHS), 6-1, 6-2.