Mason City, ranked fifth in Class 2A, swept Marshalltown 11-0 at the Marshalltown Tennis Complex in the Bobcats’ regular-season finale.

MHS (8-6) is off until next Wednesday’s Class 2A state-qualifying singles and doubles meet back home at Marshalltown.

“Mason City’s a heck of a team,” MHS head coach James Christensen said. “We’ve had some real battles with them over the last couple years. … They didn’t graduate anybody so when everybody’s back, it’s tough sledding against a team like that and they proved that tonight.

Our guys played really well and it makes me pleased to end our regular season on that note even if it doesn’t look like it on the scorecard.”

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown’s Jacob Christen jumps to make a backhand volley during doubles play in Wednesday’s dual meet against Mason City at the Marshalltown Court Complex.

The Riverhawks snuck past Marshalltown last year, 6-5, which came on the heels of a 7-4 Marshalltown win in their 2022 meeting.

On Wednesday, Mason City won all but one match in straight sets, including winning two out of three set tiebreakers.

The outlier was at No. 1 doubles, as Isaac Benscoter and Jacob Thiessen took the first set from Reed Kruger and Justin Yarahmadi, 7-6 on a 7-4 tiebreaker.

Kruger and Yarahmadi, who finished third at state doubles last year, roared back for a 6-1 win in set two and won the tiebreaker 10-6.

Christensen still felt it as a good way for the top duo to bounce back from losses in singles play.

“It’s been the best that they’ve played this year for sure,” Christensen said. “Isaac had a tough match against a top-10 kid in the state and JT battled and lost a tiebreaker with Yarahmadi, they could’ve easily laid down but they came out firing in that first set. … They were leading in the tiebreaker and Mason City just caught fire at the wrong time. But we’re pleased with their performance and we know they’ll be ready to go for districts.”

Adam Boone had the other set tiebreaker at No. 6 singles with Trenton Kruger, falling 7-6 (7-5), 6-0.

“He played his heart out,” Christensen said. “He had a few chances and just couldn’t finish it off [in the first set], but that’s kind of the hallmark of a first-year varsity player. Those are learning experiences for him and he’ll be stronger coming forward.”

Christensen has also tinkered with the doubles lineup in recent meets, mixing the typical No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams as the Bobcats try to dial in that best possible combination to win matches both at the singles and doubles meet and at the substate team tournament in two weeks’ time.

“We’re looking at what combination is going to give us the highest ceiling both for individuals and doubles,” Christensen said. “We’re still kind of evaluating and continuing through practice to see who we feel like gives us the best chance.”

Christensen said the Bobcats have played almost double the amount of matches other schools have been able to squeeze in due to unpredictable weather this spring, and MHS is feeling every mile on that engine heading into a week away from competition.

“We’re banged up a bit, forearms, elbows, knees creaking,” Christensen said. “We’ll get some treatment over the next couple of days and try to heal up and be ready to go. Then we’ll fine tune a couple things but it’s taper season and it’s time to get ready to go mentally and physically.”

Mason City 11, Marshalltown 0

SINGLES

Reed Kruger (MC) def. Isaac Benscoter, 6-1, 6-0

Justin Yarahmadi (MC) def. Jacob Thiessen, 6-0, 7-6 (7-2)

Rylan Kuhn (MC) def. Dale Greene, 6-1, 6-2

Seth VandenBerg (MC) def. Carson Snyder, 6-3, 6-1

Sander Tompkins (MC) def. Jacob Christen, 6-1, 6-0

Trenton Kruger (MC) def. Adam Boone, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0

DOUBLES

R. Kruger and Yarahmadi (MC) def. Benscoter and Thiessen, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 10-6

Vandenberg and Tompkins (MC) def. Greene and Christen, 6-0, 6-4

Kuhn and T. Kruger (MC) def. Snyder and Boone, 6-4, 6-4

Owen Stroup and Logan Eide (MC) def. Isaac Seberger and Tayven Dutton, 6-2, 6-2

Brady Anderson and Zander Dickinson (MC) def. Will Swartz and Kyle Smith, 6-2, 6-4