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With the season underway, here’s a look at the La Salle-Peru, St. Bede, Mendota and Princeton boys tennis teams.
La Salle-Peru
Coach: Aaron Guenther
Top returners: Danny Santoy, sr., John Crane, sr., Jackson Sellett, sr., Michael Milota, sr., Nick Olivero, sr, Riley Cetwinski, sr.
Key newcomers: Erick Sotelo, jr., Kevin Guo, fr.
Worth noting: The Cavaliers return a strong core of players from last year’s team that went undefeated in the Interstate 8 Conference, led by two-time state qualifier Danny Santoy. L-P hopes to repeat the feat along with qualifying more than one entry to the state tournament. “They’ve talked all summer about setting lofty goals so that they have to work extra hard to reach them,” Guenther said. The I-8 is going to a six singles, three doubles format, which Guenther said gives “more opportunity to get players into the lineup and shift people around.” Sellett and Crane return with the most singles experience from last season, but Santoy, Olivero, Milota and Guo played in local tournaments to gain singles experience. Santoy will anchor the No. 1 doubles spot, Milota has played No. 2 doubles the past two seasons, and Cetwinski and Olivero won the conference at No. 3 doubles last spring. Guenther said Sotelo “is just a pure athlete who knows how to be aggressive and how to win,” while Guo “has worked hard over the past couple of summers to get ready for his high school tennis experience.” He expects both to improve the more experience they get at the varsity level. “Santoy is the only returning state qualifier, but Crane, Sellett and Milota all come back with sectional experience,” Guenther said. “Not many 2024 state qualifiers graduated, so they’ve been putting in a ton of work to put themselves in position to be in the mix.”
St. Bede
Coach: Eric Davy
Top returners: Tyler Walsh, sr., Isaac Kang, jr., Noah Buck, jr., Brax Kim, jr., Mark Rudenko, jr., Westin Heersink, jr., Julian Villava, jr.
Key newcomers: Mason Ross, sr., Abe Wiesbrock, sr., Arthur Vandenburg, sr., Haiden Ator, sr., Caden Carls, jr., Danny Garcia, so., David DeLaTorre, fr., Maksymillian Niedwiedz, fr.
Worth noting: Numbers are growing for the Bruins. Davy had six players in his first season, eight last year and 18 this spring. “The program is growing, which is providing for more competitive matches and contributing to a quickened development of the skills and nuances of the game,” Davy said. Walsh and Kang played No. 1 doubles in St. Bede’s season-opening win. Buck and Kim will see time at singles and doubles, while fellow returnees Rudenko, Heersink and Villava will concentrate on doubles. Newcomers Ross and Wiesbrock will likely be a doubles team. “My goals for this group of young men are to compete and grow as players - and really come together as a team - during school and practice, in the halls and refectory, and on the courts during match play,” Davy said. “Right now, the enthusiasm and the will is there. We simply need to lock in and enjoy the moments we have together.”
Mendota
Coach: Miguel Bermudez
Top returners: Cameron Escatel, sr.; Wyatt Sondgeroth, sr.; BJ Bresley, sr.
Key newcomers: Alex Holland, jr.; Harlan Gallagher, jr., Trey Lee, jr.; Aden Tillman, jr.
Worth noting: Bermudez takes over as Mendota’s head coach. “This year we want to be competitive and get better fundamentally,” Bermudez said. “We have a great group of sophomores and juniors, and we look forward to building up the next couple of years.” Escatel returns as the team’s No. 1 singles player. “He’s a great player and quick,” Bermudez said. “He’s coachable, and I look forward to seeing him progress over the next few weeks.” Gallagher and Holland, who are coming up from the JV, and tennis newcomer Tillman are competing to play No. 2 singles. The two that don’t play No. 2 singles will be on a doubles team. Sondgeroth, Bresley and Lee are also in the mix for doubles.
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Princeton
Coach: Connie Lind
Top returners: Chase Sims, sr.; Asa Gartin, sr.; Jackson Mason, jr.; Landon Davis, jr.
Key newcomers: Nolan Anderson, sr.; Nick Wright, sr.; Jack Orwig, jr.; Levi Boggs, jr.; Landon Fairbanks, jr.
Worth noting: The Tigers graduated three all-area players from last year’s team that finished 19-1, including three-time state qualifier Tyson Phillips, who is now an assistant coach for Princeton. “Tyson brings experience and knowledge and knows what it takes to bring the best out of our players,” Lind said. However, the cupboard is not bare for the Tigers. Sims moves up to No. 1 singles after going 25-3 last season and qualifying for state, where he was the only area player to win a match. Also back are Gartin and Mason, who went 23-1 at No. 2 doubles last season and will play No. 1 doubles this spring. Lind expects Sims along with Gartin and Mason to contend for a state berth. Davis was part of Princeton’s No. 3 doubles team last year, but will now play No. 2 singles. Newcomers Orwig, Boggs, Anderson, Fairbanks and Wright are in the mix to play No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. “Our goal is to finish the season over .500,” Lind said. “When we set foot on the court, we want to play the best that we can and give 100% at all times. And have fun.”