After winning regionals, the boys varsity tennis team competed at the D3 state championships, placing 7th out of 23 teams with 12 points.
Advancing the furthest was Ryan Fredericksen (’24) at two singles, who made it to the semi-finals.
Jack Murray (’24) at three singles, Owen McCulloch (‘24) and Julien Korner (’24) at one doubles, and Zach Sing (‘25) and Logan Fansler (‘27) at three doubles each had a first round bye and won their second round match.
Keegan Van Batavia (’24) at four singles and Luke Mourad (‘25) and Ben Tetens (‘25) at two doubles each picked up one win.
Mason Strach (’24) at one singles, and James Reid (’24) and Bradley Dunn (’26) at four doubles each had a first round bye, then dropped their second round match.
The CHS varsity tennis team is no stranger to success, with years of regional and SEC titles to their name. Players credit it to the mindset of their coach, Brain Atkinson, who focuses not only on improving the performance of the players but also the relationships they have with one another during the season.
“We’ve been practicing each day; however, one of the most important things we’ve been doing is team bonding,” McCulloch said. “We know how to play tennis, but you can always work on team bonding. It’s so important to the sport.”
As this was the last tennis season for the seniors, going to the States was both a beginning and an end. For some of the team’s seniors, tennis has been a part of their lives from a very young age.
“It’s been nice to play with my friends since back in middle school,” McCulloch said. “We’ve gained so much skill and bonded so much as a team, and I [was] excited to have the opportunity to play with the highest-level players out there.”
While some players found states to be an exciting experience, others were nervous to see how the team would perform. Division 3 is made up of competitive private schools such as 2023 champions Bloomfield Hills, Cranbrook Kingswood, Detroit Country Day, and other tough public schools such as East Grand Rapids.
“I [was] ready to lock in and win for the team, but I [was] not sure we’d win,” Korner said. “But we [went] as far as we could and took pride in the progress.”
