On the day of Saturday, May 24, the boys and girls varsity tennis teams both brought back the win. The teams competed in both doubles and singles categories, but in the end both sides managed to secure an overall win in the 5A state championship.
The preparation for state was made up of around four days of practice after the two teams had competed at districts.
In senior Jeffrey Boknecht’s case, practices prior to competing became more strategy focused, rather than more challenging.
When the day of state came, the players experienced nerves all around. For freshman Lucas Wong — Boknecht’s state doubles partner — competing at state was a whole new experience, as he just joined the team this year.
“As we kept on going and going throughout the tournament, I got more and more confidence as we kept on playing, and as me and Jeff’s bond grew stronger,” he said.
For Wong, being on varsity this year “was really cool and a good opportunity, because not every freshman gets on varsity first try, so I was really grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
Now, as the season comes to a close, multiple participating players agree that the tennis environment was a positive place.
“I love the team because they’re all really fun and [inclusive],” said Wong. “So, I created a bond with everybody, and then we all had each other’s backs.”
Though tennis is often seen as more of an individual sport, in reality, the players explained that it is actually more than that, and team members need each other, despite the fact that competition may just be one-on-one playing.
“Tennis is kind of seen as an individual sport, but it’s much more of a team sport when you really look into it,” Boknecht said.
Boknecht also added that “the team chemistry was awesome this year. We had some great seniors last year who kind of set up the team chemistry, and I just, I felt like I just had to kind of keep that chemistry going.”
Sophomore Kaiden Harris, who also competed at state, felt the team chemistry was good throughout the season, mainly due to the team’s captain, and junior Kaitlin Carter feels similarly. For her, the senior players Kennedy Harris and Avalon Donnelly, also competitors at state, were those that she could look up to.
“You see them play, you see them practice, you see them like a team, and it just makes you want to be better,” Carter said.
When the seniors depart, the current players hope to continue to strive for good team chemistry in their next season.
Carter plans on stepping up as a leader next year, as an upcoming senior. She believes this aspect is crucial in maintaining team chemistry. While she feels that the graduating varsity girls tennis players are irreplaceable, she has hope for next year with opportunities for new roles to come into place.
“I think no one’s going to be able to replace their roles, but I definitely do think there are going to be people who are able to step into similar roles and kind of stand out on their own,” she said.
With all things considered, this year was undoubtedly successful for the La Salle tennis teams on both ends, as seen through their wins.
When looking back, Boknecht said, “I just want to thank my coaches.”
Harris seconded that saying, “most of the team success is due to our amazing coaches and their dedication.”
Even though both teams tackled their own challenges, one of which being Harris’s foot injury, they were able to conquer them and end the season off on a high note.
