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Pioneer Tennis Player of the Tournament 5/9

Pioneer Player of the Tournament: Ruimin Luo

Pioneer freshman Ruimin Luo won 2 key matches for the Pioneers in district play today. His upset win over the tournament’s #3 seeded player from Assumption was fueled by firm resolve, some big time forehands, and plenty of hustle.

“Ruimin’s played all but one match at #1 this spring. There’s more pressure at 1 because every team has a strong player at the top. For a freshman who’s been playing less than a year to finish 3rd in district is unheard of. Most of the top players are upperclassmen who have been playing for 5 or 6 years… some much longer. I hope Ruimin

ruimin tennis

 appreciates how well he’s done in a very short period of time. I picked up a racket at age 6 and so I know what a huge advantage early training gives a player,” explained Coach Briggs.
Congratulations to Ruimin, the Pioneer Player of the Tournament. 
On May 12th the Pioneer Boys tennis team will play against Mt. Pleasant for the right to play in the Sub-state team tournament on Wednesday, May 18th. This game begins at 9 am until 4 pm tomorrow, May 12th. Good luck Pioneer Boys!

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Pioneer Girls Tennis Invitational 5/7

Tennis Coach Lawrence Eyre’s Match Report

tennis girls pioneersMaharishi School girls’ tennis came out on top in the Pioneer Invitational Saturday, a five-team event including Albia, Burlington Notre Dame, Centerville and Davis County.
Team Standings:
(In this round robin tournament, each game won = 1 point for the school)
1st Maharishi 103 points
2nd Albia 84 points
3rd Davis County 70 points
4th Centerville 34 points
5th Burlington Notre Dame 33 points
#1 singles flight winner:
Lily Fenton ,Maharishi
#2 singles flight winner:
Ishita Mukhadam, Maharishi
#1 doubles flight winners:
Vaisnavii Mohanraj and Bella Castle, Maharishi
#2 doubles flight winners:
A. Steuchel and A. Warning, Davis County
(Sisters Sara and Daira Valls of Maharishi finished 3rd)
“With this round robin format, everyone who enters gets to play four matches, win or lose. It was fun to see athletes from all five schools learning to adjust to different playing styles in real time while competing today. All of us coaches watched our players grow throughout the tournament.”
The Pioneers finish their regular season with a 6-0 dual match record and first place finishes in both the Fort Madison Invitational and the Pioneer Invitational. “I’m proud of our girls–they have steadily improved all season long.”
Wednesday, May 11 is the regional tournament hosted by Fairfield High School. Six Pioneers will compete with tennis players from seven other schools in southeast Iowa in singles or doubles for a place in the state tournament draw. In 2021 Lily Fenton became the first Maharishi School girls’ team player to qualify for the state singles tournament in a decade.
State singles and doubles will be May 27 and 28 at the University of Iowa tennis center.

To read more about Pioneer Girls tennis, click here.

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Pioneer Boys Ottumwa Invitational 5/7

Tennis Coach Steve Briggs Match Report

The Pioneers finished 2nd in the Ottumwa Invite. The host school won the tournament. 

 
The Pioneers collected silver medals in 7 of the 9 flights with Ruimin Luo, Polo Altynksi-Ross, Dominic DuPoux, and Chacho Roesler earning 2nd place in both singles and doubles. 
 

The Pioneer Player of the Match is Chacho Roesler who is redefining the word hustle for his team.

 
Ottumwa — 178
Maharishi School — 126
Oskaloosa — 92
Knoxville — 42
 
The Pioneers play in the district tournament on Monday. Both the Punj Center and FF MIddle School courts will be used for the tournament.

To read more about Pioneer Boys tennis, click here.

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Maharishi School Student Honored at ISEF

International Science and Engineering Fair

maharishi school students 2021On May 8, Ishita Mukadam and Ms. Asha head for the International Science Fair competition in Atlanta. She was invited to attend based on her outstanding entry into the state science fair, sponsored in conjunction with Iowa State University. This is a tremendous accomplishment for a sophomore—and for her teacher!

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Ishita Mukadam

 

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Pioneers Outrun Greyhounds in 8-1 Win

Tennis Coach Steve Briggs Reports on the Match

In their final dual meet of the season, the Pioneers raced past undefeated Burlington, leaving the Greyhounds intennis boys the rear view mirror. Burlington had beaten every other area team (including Mt Pleasant twice), making the victory that much sweeter.

The win improved the Pioneers dual meet record to 7-1.
The team had a heart to heart talk yesterday and the boys responded with their best performance of the season.
“We talked about staying locked in and believing that there’s always a path to victory,” said Coach Briggs. “We talked about playing to our potential and dealing with adversity. Pressure is a fact of life in sports and today everyone dealt with it extremely well.”
One match in particular stood out: Pioneer #1, freshman Ruimin Luo overwhelmed Burlington’s undefeated #1, Tryce Barthlshofer, 7=6, 6-0. Tyce is widely regarded as the best player in Southeast Iowa.
“Few people expected Ruimin to win today,” acknowledged Briggs. “ has beaten several guys who beat Ruimin, but our guys know what Ruimin’s capable of. Today we witnessed a special performance. Ruimin was outstanding. He beat a skilled and confident opponent.”
Ruimin has the talent to be a top tier player in Iowa. Considering he’s a freshman who has been playing less than a year, his ceiling is high.”
Ruimin Luo is the Pioneer Player of the Match
Special recognition goes to senior stalwart, Dominic DuPoux, who finished the season with a perfect 16-0 record in dual meets. Congrats to Dominic for his steady play all season long and for his willingness to sacrifice for the team. 
 
Jayanta, Polo, and Chacho also played some of their best tennis today, lifting the Pioneers to a 5-1 lead after singles.
 
The Pioneers are back in action at FF Middle School on Saturday.

#1 Ruimin defeated Barthlshofer.  7-6 (5), 6-0

#2 Jayanta defeated Bleisnner. 6-4, 5-7, 10-7
#3 Polo defeated Ford   7-5, 6-3
#4 Dominic defeated Carlson. 7-5, 6-1
#5. Chacho defeated Mason. 6-3, 6-1
#6. Mekhi lost to Fawcett. 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
#1. Ruimin/Dominic defeated Mason/Fawcett. 6-3
#2. Polo/Jayanta defeated Ford/Carlson. 8-4
#3. Mekhi/Chacho won by default

To read more about Pioneer Boys tennis, click here.

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Maharishi Girls’ Tennis 9 Burlington Notre Dame 0

Tennis Coach Lawrence Match Report

The Pioneers upped their season record to 6-0 with a 9-0 win over Burlington Notre Dame that was also a race against the rain. “There was a sense of urgency for both teams today–we barely finished our matches before the clouds opened.”
Bella Castle sparkled with an 8-0 victory at #4 singles, and she teamed up with Vaisnavii Mohanraj for an 8-1 win at #2 doubles.
Maharishi will host the Pioneer Invitational this Saturday, with round robin play in two singles flights and two doubles draws.  Albia, Centerville, Davis County and Burlington Notre Dame will be joining the Pioneers at the Punj Tennis Center outdoors for match play starting at 9 am.

 Singles Results

Po.MatchupSet 1Set 2Set 3Result
1 Elizabeth Hamma vs.  Lily Fenton8-1winner-team-logo 1-0
2 Ashi Pennaka vs.  Ishita Mukadam8-0winner-team-logo 1-0
3 Isabella Blaufuss vs.  Vaisnavii Mohanraj8-4winner-team-logo 1-0
4 Shona Andersen vs.  Isabella Castle8-0winner-team-logo 1-0
5 Jasmine Jong vs.  Saraswati Quevedo-Valls8-2winner-team-logo 1-0
6 Chloe Diewold vs.  Daira Valls Blazquez8-2winner-team-logo 1-0

 Doubles Results

Po.MatchupSet 1Set 2Set 3Result
1 Elizabeth Hamma/Ashi Pennaka vs.  Lily Fenton/Ishita Mukadam8-1winner-team-logo 1-0
2 Isabella Blaufuss/Shona Andersen vs.  Isabella Castle/Vaisnavii Mohanraj8-1winner-team-logo 1-0
3 Jasmine Jong/Chloe Diewold vs.  Saraswati Quevedo-Valls/Daira Valls Blazquez8-3winner-team-logo 1-0

To read more about Pioneer Girls tennis, click here.

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Mt Pleasant Defeats Pioneers Boys Tennis Team 6-3

Tennis Coach Steve Briggs Reports

When Friday’s showers soaked Mt Pleasant’s East Lake courts,the Pioneers were handed home court advantage (at the MIU Rec Center). Unfortunately, the Pioneers were unable to capitalize, falling to a determined Mt Pleasant team.

maharishi school boys tennis
The Pioneers were looking for answers in the wrong places. Again and again the PIoneers could be seen rehearsing their strokes, swinging rackets at the air.
“What needed fixing wasn’t technical. It was our mindset,” explained Coach Briggs. “Until we understand that we need to be locked in on every point, we’re vulnerable. That’s on the coaching staff. You don’t learn how to scramble after every ball playing video games and so those of us who didn’t grow up with a screen in our hand need to teach better.”
The Pioneers lost 4 matches by the closest of margins — reversing half those results would have swung the match in favor of the Pioneers.
“We had sizable leads in several matches, but sometimes getting to the finish line isn’t so easy,” said Briggs. “We need to play our best tennis at the end of the match when it matters most; not just in the early going.”
One Pioneer who played with determination from start to finish was Dominic DuPoux, who won both his singles and doubles (with Ruimin Luo) matches without losing a set. Dominic efficiently took care of business, securing 2 wins for the Pioneers.
 
Dominic DuPoux is the Pioneer Player of the Match for a 2nd time.
Said Briggs: “After the match, Coach Rodgers (Mt P coach for the past 10 years) said, ‘Finally, I can cross beating Maharishi off my bucket list.”
Perseverance paid off for Coach Rodgers; a lesson the Pioneers are still learning.
The Pioneers play a strong Burlington squad at the Punj Center on Tuesday.
Injury report: Pioneer #1 Zak Askar’s Achilles is making progress and we hope to have Zak back on court for postseason play.
Singles
#1. Ruimin Luo lost to Own Vansickel.   4-6, 6-2, 10-6
#2 Jayanta Wegman lost to Jake Ensminger 6-1, 6-1
#3 Polo Altynski-Ross lost to Levi Graber 2-6, 7-5, 10-8
#4 Dominic DuPoux defeated Linc Hendrickson 6-2, 6-4
#5 Mekhi Kahui lost to Elliot Cook.  6-4, 6-4
#6 Chacho Roestler lost to Tim Cam 6-2, 3-6, 13-11
Doubles
#1 & 4. Defeated 1 & 2   6-4, 6-3
#2 & 3. Lost to  3 & 4.   8-6
#5 & 6 defeated  5 & 6.  9-7

To read more about Pioneer Boys tennis, click here.

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Polo Altynski-Ross’s Entrepreneurship Project

 Maharishi School Junior Inspires Business Mindset Among Students

In an interview with sixteen year-old Polo Altynski-Ross I was able to see the core values of Maharishi School ( respect, responsibility, service, solutions, andentrepreneurship polo maharishi school transcendence), in his actions. Polo’s project not only allows him to be of service to his fellow students but it also shows his sense of responsibility to the community. Through Polo’s guidance he’s able to coach his students through various solutions and problem solving methods so that they can present their ideas with as much clarity as possible. Polo is a natural leader and because of this you can see how dedicated he is to his project in the following interview.

Entrepreneurship Q & A

My name is Polo AltynskiRoss, I’m 16, and I’m in eleventh grade. Even though I am an international student from Britain, America really is my home-this is my seventh year here. This school and community is what brought my family and I here in 2015, and I do not take any of it for granted. I believe that the school has allowed me to reach my full potential, with the support of all of my peers and teachers along the way.

What is your project about?

project period polo

My purpose of this class for the students of Maharishi School to be given the opportunity to learn the in’s-and-out’s of a successful business, how to come up with their own creative, contributing ideas, and to apply them to the real world.

I have been, along with Mr. Aikar, teaching this class during our elective project period. The class consists of some dir

ected group activities, presentations, brainstorming, and unit quizzes. Although we are only able to offer an abbreviated version of the course over one quarter, I intend to have students also create a real business plan and to enter into the Fall/Spring Innovator Competition. The course also has certified college credit in entrepreneurship/business studies, with a qualified instructor. We would love to offer this, too!

Can you explain your idea and the motivation behind starting this project? What makes you passionate about this work?

In 9th grade, I came across Maharishi International University’s Creative Entrepreneurship program. I participated in their competition against mostly college students,

senior project period polo

and was placed as the alternate. It was clear that this topic piqued my (and many other high schoolers’) interest, but there was no way for students to participate in the actual program to prepare us for the competition. I met with people in MIU to discuss adapting their course to Maharishi School, but it never really moved forward.

In 10th grade, I came across the University of Iowa’s Jacobson Institute, a part of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center within their Tippie Business School. I discovered that they offered their own entrepreneurship program online which could be integrated into highschool classes. I met with their director to determine how this would happen, and proceeded to take the course on my own, with assistance from one of my former teachers, Mr. Benezra.

This semester, I finally was approved to offer the course as my own project to teach other students!

Where do you see this type of project that you’re doing in the future?

As I am graduating next year, I would love to see this project grow and become an integrative part of the school curriculum that will continue for years to come. Maharishi School’s repertoire of diverse elective projects is a stand-out aspect of the school, and this would add even more to this aspect.

 

 

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Pioneers Boys Defeat Keokuk — 8-1

Tennis Coach Steve Briggs Reports

The Maharishi Pioneers boys tennis team won convincingly against Keokuk, extending their record to 6-0 for the season.maharishi school tennis

The only loss the Pioneers suffered was due to injury. Playing his first match at #1, Zak Askar injured his ankle at the end of the opening set, which he lost 7-5 to Spanish exchange student, Ivan Lopex. The Keokuk #1 is one of the best players in Southeast Iowa. The extent of Zak’s injury isn’t known, but we hope he’s back on court soon.
#1 doubles provided plenty of excitement. With Zak watching from the bleachers, Polo and Jayanta moved into #1 doubles slot where they faced Lopez and Worster. At 7-7, the Pioneer duo lifted their play to seal the win 9-7. Polo served a strong game at 7 all and came up with the shot of the match in the final game to help secure the win.
“As a coach I pay attention to how the boys handle pressure. Pressure is a fact of life in every sport and the boys are getting familiar with the challenging thoughts and emotions that surface in a close match,” explained Coach Briggs. “Conquering the nerves is a major step toward becoming a top level player.”

Congratulations to Polo Altynski-Ross for being selected as Pioneer Player of the Match. 

To read more about Pioneer Boys tennis, click here.

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Pioneer Girls Tennis Match Report on 4/21

Tennis Coach Lawrence Eyre Reportstennis girls

 

“Thursday was inspiring. Every high school tennis player in Fairfield took to the courts. It was high energy tennis, fairly played–with friends across the net.”

 Singles Results

Po.MatchupSet 1Set 2Set 3Result
1 Lily Fenton vs.  Tess Paton8-6winner-team-logo 1-0
2 Ishita Mukadam vs.  Sydney Wells8-1winner-team-logo 1-0
3 Vaisnavii Mohanraj vs.  Madison Greiner8-0winner-team-logo 1-0
4 Isabella Castle vs.  Giteeka Adhikari8-0winner-team-logo 1-0
5 Saraswati Quevedo-Valls vs.  Emma Wendland8-1winner-team-logo 1-0
6 Daira Valls Blazquez vs.  Emily Simpson7-1winner-team-logo 1-0

 Doubles Results

Po.MatchupSet 1Set 2Set 3Result
1 Lily Fenton/Ishita Mukadam vs.  Tess Paton/Madison Greiner8-51-0
2 Vaisnavii Mohanraj/Isabella Castle vs.  Sydney Wells/Emma Wendland8-41-0
3 Saraswati Quevedo-Valls/Daira Valls Blazquez vs.  Giteeka Adhikari/Emily Simpson8-41-0

To read more about Pioneer Girls tennis, click here.

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