Boys tennis: 2024 Northwest Herald All-Area team

Meet the 2024 Northwest Herald All-Area boys tennis team.

First team

Will Geske, Huntley, so.

Geske, the 2024 Northwest Herald Boys Tennis Player of the Year, claimed the Fox Valley Conference No. 1 singles title for the second straight year, defeating Dundee-Crown’s Aarav Shah 6-2, 6-3 in the championship. Geske advanced to the Class 2A state tournament and went 2-2.

Jacob Kim, Prairie Ridge, jr.

Kim finished third at No. 1 singles at the FVC Tournament and took first at sectionals to qualify for the Class 1A state tournament. Kim made it to the final day at state, going 6-2 with his last loss in the consolation bracket semifinals.

Aarav Shah, Dundee-Crown, fr.

Shah had an outstanding freshman campaign, finishing runner-up to Geske in the No. 1 singles bracket at the FVC Tournament and making it to the Class 2A state tournament in his first high school season. At state, Shah was 1-2.

Cole Palese, jr.,/Tim Jones, so., Prairie Ridge

Palese and Jones made history, advancing to the Class 1A state tournament and finishing fifth for the team’s best placement ever. The Wolves doubles team was 6-1 at state, placed runner-up at sectionals to Crystal Lake South’s Jack Dacy and Eryk Bucior and was runner-up to Jacobs’ Augie Nelson and Soham Kalra at the FVC Tournament.

Augie Nelson, jr./Soham Kalra, so., Jacobs

Nelson and Kalra knocked off Palese and Jones 7-5, 6-2 to capture the No. 1 doubles championship at the FVC Tournament and placed third at sectionals to qualify for the Class 2A state tournament. The Jacobs’ top pairing finished 1-2 at state.

Jack Dacy, sr./Eryk Bucior, so., Crystal Lake South

Dacy and Bucior defeated Prairie Ridge’s Palese and Jones 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 to earn a sectional crown and qualify for the Class 1A state tournament. The Gators’ top doubles team, which took third at the FVC Tournament, finished 1-2 at state.

Connor Trepanier, sr./Jacob Trepanier, sr., Richmond-Burton

The Trepanier brothers won both a Kishwaukee River Conference doubles championship and a sectional title, upending the No. 1 seed to advance to the Class 1A state tournament. At state, the Rockets’ duo won its first match and went 2-2.

Second team

Tyler Batt, Johnsburg, so.

Marc Cheng, Woodstock, so.

Nate Neufeld, McHenry, sr.

Austin Dinh, sr./Ryan Fulton, jr., Jacobs

Tanush Gulati, fr./Ishaan Trivedi, sr., Huntley

Brandon OConer, sr./Oliver True, sr., Crystal Lake Central

Noah Marrano, sr./Nathan Deal, sr., Cary-Grove

Honorable mention

Cameron Tiemann, Marian Central, so.

Zeke Boldman, Crystal Lake South, so.

Liam Hanson, sr./Devon Oliveira, sr., Woodstock

Mohsin Rizvi, McHenry, jr.

Bryce Shechtman, Cary-Grove, jr.

Nicky Adam, sr./Ryan Regalado, sr., Hampshire

Jack Soto, Jacobs, fr.

Eashan Cherukuri, so./Vivek Yandamuri, fr., Huntley

Casey McKinney, jr./Joshua Baqueiro, sr., Dundee-Crown

Derek Passaglia, sr./Ryan Dixon, jr., Cary-Grove

Connor Wheeland, sr./Audon Berg, jr., Crystal Lake Central

Brett Neuhart, Woodstock, jr.

Jackson Karlovsky, Cary-Grove, jr.

Evan Seegert, Prairie Ridge, so.