Upper St. Clair duo finish second in the WPIAL

Ronan Gibbons returns a shot during WPIAL Class AAA tennis doubles action.

Ari Plutko of Upper St. Clair connects on a shot at the net during WPIAL Class AAA tennis doubles championship action.

Vim and vigor equate success on the tennis court for Ari Plutko and Ronan Gibbons.

When they played with enthusiasm, complete with chest bumping on winning points, they held the upper hand in the WPIAL doubles championship match. When they lost their edge, however, the Upper St. Clair duo fell short of the gold.

During the Class AAA finals played April 24 at North Allegheny High School, Plutko and Gibbons finished as silver medalist after dropping a three-setter, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, to Gateway’s Zidaan Hassan and Logan Memije.

“We play well when we are energetic,” said Plutko. “When we get hyped, that keeps us in it.”

Despite a 45-minute weather delay, Plutko and Gibbons pounced on the Gators tandem. They dominated the first set, winning 6-4.

“We had a lot of energy coming into this,” Gibbons said. “We were really excited and it carried us. We do well when we are really hyped up.”

The Panthers did not do so well in the second set as Hassan and Memije found their stroke.

“We were confident after the first set. We took it to them but then we tanked,” said Gibbons. “We lost our groove but gained it back.”

Hassan and Memije, however, prevailed with their patented play, giving Gateway its second straight doubles title. In 2023, Hassan combined with Memije’s brother, Adam, for the title. However, Adam qualified for this year’s PIAA singles tournament earlier in the spring.

“They are good at rallying across court and we didn’t come to the net as much as we should have,” Plutko said. “We won that first set because we came to the net and were putting away the shots. We got away from that, especially in the second set.

“They are a good team,” Plutko continued. “We let nerves get to us a bit.”

Plutko and Gibbons have been there before though. They finished third in last year’s doubles championships.

They are seasoned players, however. As the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, they have USC ranked among the top teams in the WPIAL. The Panthers are en route to winning a section banner.

Plutko’s and Gibbons’s

Ronan Gibbons returns a shot at the net while Ari Plutko backs up the action during WPIAL Class 3A doubles tournament play. The Upper St. Clair duo finished runner-up and qualified for the state championships.

Ari Plutko of Upper St. Clair connects on a shot at the net during WPIAL Class AAA tennis doubles championship action.

Ronan Gibbons returns a shot during WPIAL Class AAA tennis doubles action.

attributes as well as their bond brought them together as a successful doubles unit.

“We are both solid from the base line and serving,” Plutko said.

“We both are friends outside of the court and we have good chemistry,” added Gibbons. “We are both aggressive when it comes to singles so that carries over into doubles. Plus, Ari has a good back hand and I have a good forehand. So it’s easy for us to hold our own on separate sides. We pair well together.”

Gibbons pairs well with wrestling. Though he has played tennis longer and says he is better at the sport, he has relied on his grappling skills on the tennis court.

“Practices are a lot hard in wrestling. Actually though the sports are surprisingly similar when considering the mind set because you are out there by yourself on the court and on the mat.”

Because he has been playing tennis all of his life, Gibbons may opt to compete in college. His top schools are Bucknell University and Gettysburg College. He GPA ranges between 4.3 and 4.4.

Plutko is also committed to tennis. He has played since he was 5 but started to take the sport seriously a little more than seven years later. Since he is a junior, his collegiate plans are in the beginning stages. He is primarily focused on his next competition.

Because of their finish in the WPIAL, he and Gibbons are qualified for the PIAA doubles tournament to be held May 24-25 at the Hershey Racquet Club.

“Hopefully, next year we get first in the WPIAL but I’m looking forward to states. We lost the battle here but hopefully we win the war,” Plutko declared. “Hopefully, we see (Gateway) again.”