Best of Sports, Boys Tennis: Ari Plutko & Ronan Gibbons, Upper St. Clair
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Vim and vigor equated 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, especially during the WPIAL doubles championship match. When they lost their edge, however, the Upper St. Clair duo fell short of the gold.
“We play well when we are energetic,” said Plutko. “When we get hyped, that keeps us in it.”
“We had a lot of energy,” Gibbons said. “We were really excited and it carried us. We do well when we are really hyped up.”
During the Class 3A 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.
Plutko and Gibbons had been there before though. They finished third in last year’s doubles championships.
As the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, they led USC to an undefeated section championship. The Panthers reached the semifinals in the WPIAL 3A team tournament before ending their season with a 3-2 loss to Gateway. The Gators finished runner-up to North Allegheny in the finals.
Gibbons was a two-sport athlete at USC, pairing tennis with wrestling. He posted a 19-13 record this winter. Undecided about his athletic endeavors because of his college options, his top schools were Bucknell and Gettysburg. He maintained a 4.4 GPA.
A junior, Plutko is a committed tennis player. He has played the game since he was 5. This spring, he won the section singles title, dethroning the former champion, Devin Collier from Bethel Park, in the Section 4 final, 6-1, 6-1. Plutko finished fourth in the WPIAL Class 3A singles tournament.
The tandem of Plutko and Gibbons competed in the PIAA doubles championships. The pair reached the quarterfinals.
HONOREES
Devin Collier, junior, Bethel Park
Paul Gorvin, senior, Mt. Lebanon
Brendan Hallisey, senior, Chartiers Valley
Luca Ritivoi, freshman, Mt. Lebanon
Avi Sharma, senior, Peters Township
Kritin Sharma, junior, Peters Township