Senior River Nichols only began playing tennis because his older brothers were on the team, so he “decided to give it a go,” he said. However, he grew to enjoy the game for its own sake, improving quickly and making varsity his freshman year.

“I just kept going, and I just kept getting better, and it just kept getting more fun,” Nichols said.

Nichols plays No. 2 doubles and was named a captain of the boys tennis team this season, a role he filled for the boys soccer team as well.

This year, he earned the High School All-American award for soccer, and he was also one of 13 athletes honored by OSAA on the 5A All-State First Team for boys soccer.

Though in past years, managing sports and school at once has been “a little bit difficult,” he noted that this year, keeping a balance between responsibilities has been less of a problem.

“I just do my best,” Nichols said.

In his free time, Nichols enjoys hiking and backpacking, with his favorite spots being the Wallowa Mountains and Mt. Hood, both in Oregon. Between the two, he prefers backpacking, as those trips tend to be longer.

Though he hikes by himself more often now, Nichols picked up the hobby from outings with his family.

“My brother, he’s a big backpacker, and my family’s always just kind of been outdoorsy, so I started going on hikes,” Nichols said. “I was like, ‘It’s kind of fun.’ So I just kept progressing, doing longer and longer hikes, and I just got into camping.”

Nichols’ favorite experience on the tennis team so far was their annual overnight trip to Eugene, where they played in a tournament against teams from all over Oregon. When they weren’t playing tennis, the team was allowed to have fun in the city.

Nichols prepares for each competition with a consistent game-day routine — eating the same meals, watching the same things, and listening to the same music, usually Mexican and reggae. Getting in the right headspace is important for performing well in tennis, he said, as it’s “a mental game.”

“If you get into your head too much, you can’t play well at all, no matter how hard you’re working,” Nichols said.

This year, the boys soccer team came out on top in the state finals, giving La Salle their first back-to-back soccer state championships. Having won the year prior, Nichols said there was less pressure to do well this year, as no one really expected them to win, he explained.

“I knew that we were going to be fine — we had the talent,” he said. “I guess the pressure really came during playoffs, but that really didn’t affect any of us too much, because we’d been there before.”

The boys tennis team also took home the state championship last year, and Nichols believes they have “a pretty good chance” of making it to state again this year.

He prefers competition to practice, something he said he owes to his competitive nature.

“I’ve always wanted to just win,” Nichols said. “I’m always trying to do my best.”

The youngest of six, Nichols has always been in competition with his siblings, he said, particularly his four older brothers, who also attended La Salle and played tennis. While his siblings fuel his competitiveness, Nichols said they also serve as role models.

Though he does enjoy competition, Nichols continues to play tennis mainly for fun, he said.

“I just kind of go out to have fun,” Nichols said. “As long as I’m having a good time, I’m fine.”

Overall, Nichols is satisfied with his time here at La Salle, and he intends to major in biology next year at the University of Oregon.

“I got what I got out of it,” he said. “I had a great time, so you couldn’t really ask for any more.”