Spring All-County: Which boys tennis stars had the best seasons in Palm Beach County?
Welcome to the 2024 Palm Beach Post High School Sports Awards, where we will be announcing nominations and winners for Player of the Year in each of our sports.
With that being said, it's time to meet The Palm Beach Post's boys tennis All-County team!
At the live show for this spring's Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards on Wednesday, June 5 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, the boys basketball Player of the Year will be announced along with the teams, coaches, and athletes of the year, as well as a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes can look for their name to register very soon at this link: Nominee Registration for the 2024 Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards
The show is produced with support from Baptist Health Orthopedic Care.
The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
State winners: American Heritage-Delray boys and girls sweep 2A tennis state championships
Player of the Year Nominees
Nico Snyder, Senior, St. Andrew’s
Snyder capped off his high-school career as a triple crown winner for the Scots this year, helping guide St. Andrew's boys tennis to a program title, before winning the state individual singles title as well as the doubles crown with partner Julian Fente. Snyder is hailed as a four-star prospect by Tennis Recruiting.
Julian Fente, Senior, St. Andrew’s
Fente teamed up with Nico Snyder to claim the double championship crown this year and played his key part in helping St. Andrew's to a program state title.
Michael Shalom, Junior, Dwyer
The older of the two Shalom twins, by just a minute, won a singles district championship this year and then paired with his brother to claim a district doubles title. Shalom advanced to the state semifinals in the individual championships.
Matthew Shalom, Junior, Dwyer
The younger of the two Shalom twins, once again by just a minute, won a singles district championship and paired with his brother, Michael, for a district doubles title. He advanced with his brother to the state quarterfinals in doubles.
Archie Balyberdin, Senior, West Boca
Balyberdin helped West Boca boys to a district championship title this year, winning in line three for singles before pairing with teammate Miles Fix to win the doubles championship as well. With his help, West Boca also won the regional tournament. The Bulls' senior captain has committed to the University of Florida, where he'll play club tennis.
Ajinkya Karnataki, Sophomore, American Heritage-Delray
Despite his youth, Karnataki helped Heritage-Delray repeat as Class 2A state champions this year, and he's already making his third appearance on our All-County team as a result. A five-star prospect by Tennis Recruiting, Karnataki played with teammate Yanni Anagnostopoulos on the top line at the state championship.
Alexander Georgiev, Junior, FAU High
Making another appearance on The Post's All-County team, Georgiev once again qualified for the tournament, reaching the state semifinals in the individual championships. The Tennis Recruiting Network has Georgiev listed as a four-star prospect.
Rafael Bote, Freshman, Saint Andrew’s
Moving up from honorable mention in 2023 to The Post's All-County team, Bote is hailed as a five-star prospect by the Tennis Recruiting Network. The talented freshman boasts a 24-10 record against other four and five-star prospects and helped St. Andrew's to a fifth consecutive state title this year, winning the boys No. 3 singles match, emerging victorious in a high-pressure tie-breaker.
Tristan Ryerson, Senior, Grandview Prep
Ryerson makes his debut on The Post's All-County team, hailing as a four-star prospect by The Tennis Recruiting Network. As part of the Evert Tennis Academy, Ryerson helped Grandview Prep compete in a very tough district that included St. Andrew's. Ryerson also had a 4-0 record in both singles and doubles this season.
Geoff Kosseifi, 8th Grade, American Heritage-Delray
Younger brother to former player of the year George Kosseifi, Geoff is making waves as a young tennis star. Hailed as a five-star prospect by Tennis Recruiting, he helped Heritage-Delray win a second-straight Class 2A state title by teaming up with Karl Ekstrand to win the second line in the state championship doubles.
Karl Ekstrand, 8th Grade, American Heritage-Delray
Success on the tennis court certainly runs in the family. A year after his older twin brothers graduated, Karl Ekstrand is already hailed as a four-star prospect by Tennis Recruiting after helping Heritage-Delray to a second straight Class 2A championship title by teaming up with teammate Geoff Kosseifi to win the second line in the state double finals.
Rodion Grinchak, Freshman, American Heritage-Delray
Grinchak faced off against Christian Zaki of MAST Academy in the state finals, winning the final two sets of a three-set tiebreaker to clinch the title for Heritage-Delray. He demonstrated impressive composure in his comeback performance during the singles showdown under pressure.
Coach of the Year
Reid Rafter, Saint Andrew’s
Rafter led the St. Andrew's boys squad to a fifth consecutive Class 1A state championship, continuing to build upon one of the most prestigious high-school dynasties in the state of Florida. Despite losing multiple senior stars, the opposition was no match for the young talent on the Scots.
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: See which boys tennis stars made spring All-County selections