BOCA RATON – Saint Andrew’s tennis is back in sweep mode.
With its superstar first singles and defending state champion, “Rafa” Bote leading the charge, the Scots captured the boys and girls District 13 Class 1A championship on April 15th on the Saint Andrew’s campus.
It was the boys 11th straight district title. For the girls, it is its 10th title in 11 years after losing out to Grandview Prep last spring.
Now the two Scots squads, led by legendary coach Reid Rafter, can both share in glory in what is by far the toughest district in Palm Beach County tennis.
“The girls played great,’’ Rafter said. “Having lost the district title last year for the first time in a long while, they were hungry to get it back and it showed. Some really great efforts up and down the line.’’
In the key match at first singles, junior first singles Sofia Osipova came back from a set down to beat the new kid on the block, Oxbridge freshman and No. 1 seed, Addison Munroe in a third-set tiebreaker. The final count was 3-6, 6-3, 10-7.
In the regular season, Munroe topped Osipova, 8-2. Despite the loss, Munroe, whose mother Kristy coaches at Oxbridge, is looking like an eventual state champion.
The Scots won titles at the first three singles spots. Freshman Isabela Gonzalez, whose father runs the FAU program, won the second-singles title in a 6-0, 6-0 final against King’s Academy freshman Katherine Ilyasova, whose father, Ersan is a former NBA center.
The biggest win may have come at third singles when Mercedes Laub won 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) match over top seeded Grandview Prep’s rival Isabella O’Brien to all but seal the deal.
The official clincher came at second doubles with Bella Hurstin and Amalia Van Maltzahn prevailing.
In 2025, Grandview Prep’s girls dethroned the Scots for its first-ever state tennis title. But things are a little different this year for Grandview Prep after the FHSAA finally did a crackdown on the Evert Tennis Academy issue.
According to school officials, the state ruled that players who board at Evert Academy – many of them international – aren’t permitted to play for Grandview. Only Evert kids who live with their families off site can do so.
That ruling didn’t affect the girls as much as the boys. Three boys players who have high UTR ratings are Evert boarders and weren’t allowed to play for the Grandview tennis team this season.
That allowed Saint Andrew’s boys to cruise to another title without too much difficulty as they won championships at all five singles slots.
At first singles, the sensational Bote, a junior with no weaknesses, crushed second-seeded Greene School’s Malcolm Greene, 6-0, 6-0 in the finals
A sophomore, Greene is the son of billionaire developer Jeff Greene. After a probationary period, this was the first time Greene School was allowed to play districts after starting its tennis program in West Palm Beach in 2024.
Bote, whose UTR is a whopping 12, is a favorite to repeat as state singles champion. Most tennis insiders believe Bote will have his pick of Division I tennis programs from which to choose.
At second singles, the 6-3 Adrian Fente won a third-set tiebreaker over Grandview Prep’s Adit Sadhu. At No. 3, Colin Wheat also beat Grandview Prep’s Zander Hellamons 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). Oliver Limon and Gabe Dattels cruised at No. 4 and 5.
Bote-Wheat will play state doubles and viewed as favorites to win it all.
“Our boys played really well, but there were a few very closely contested matches in the finals, so it was great to see them able to close those matches out,’’ Rafter said.
AMERICAN HERITAGE DELRAY UNSTOPPABLE
In other district action, American-Heritage-Delray continued its dynasty in District 13 2A with a sweep in boys and girls in all seven events.
Senior Ajinkya Karnataki has now five district titles at various spots. He played third singles this season after being No. 1 the previous two years.
Since starting the program in 1998, coach Brian Schleifer has won 26 boys district titles and 27 for the girls.
Runner-up in girls was Dreyfoos School of the Arts, led by longstanding coach Marina Ratchford, a former University of Kentucky player.
Dreyfoos, after a 14-2 record, moved onto the regionals against Pinecrest after five of the seven girls made it to the district finals.
Singles players Scarlett Huang, Sofia Yuricek and Aislinn O’Brien made it to the final round in singles while Sofia and Olivia Yuricek made THE first-doubles finals and Huang-O’Brien advanced to the second-doubles finals.
Dreyfoos does not have courts on its downtown West Palm Beach campus and plays at the Tennis Club of Palm Beach, sharing the claycourts with Cardinal Newman.
BOCA BOYS, SPANISH RIVER GIRLS RULE IN DISTRICT 12 4A
Boca Raton High dominated the boys event in District 12 4A, winning all five singles slots to move onto regionals.
Led by coach Sheila Townsend, whose daughter is tour doubles star Taylor, the Bobcats pulled off the swee at the Palm Beach Central courts. Senior Enzo Carvalho won at first singles, junior Enzo Lobo (2), freshman Victor Lobo (3), junior Juan Zapata (4) and freshman Rishik Venu (5). Boca Raton advances to the regionals April 21.
While Boca girls placed second to also advance to regionals, Spanish River wove together another district title.
“We have talked all year about earning their place in the postseason,’’ Sharks coach John Jones said. “They are a coachable, talented, selfless group. We are all looking forward to playing our best tennis in the region.’’
WELLINGTON DOES IT AGAIN
Wellington girls won another District 11 4A title while Jupiter won the boys.
The Wolverines girls now vie for a third straight regional title. Wellington took home six of the girls events. Wellington‘s Raya Dittfurth/ Anushka Naidu won first doubles and Asmita and sister laasya Movva won second doubles.
Wellington’s Anushka Nadu won at second singles, Asmita Movva won at 3 and laasya Movva captured 4 singles. Jayden Jaraczeski was fifth-singles champion.
In a surprise at first singles, Dittfurth was upset at first singles by Jupiter’s Sophia Velasquez,
WEST BOCA BOYS WIN IT
Against mostly Broward County schools, West Boca boys won the 4A District 13 championship at Pembroke Lakes Tennis Center.
Junior Brayden Amey won the line one singles to qualify for the state individual tournament. He and senior partner, Markus Andersson, also took first place at first doubles to make states. ‘
All five singles players won their first match, including valedictorian David Stanescu, and two freshmen standouts, Michael Skolnick and Aidan Dale.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County high school tennis district results. Who won?
Reporting by Marc Berman, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
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