2023 High school spring sports guide: tennis
Published: 04-21-2023 10:58 AM |
Coach: Kelly Finn (first year).
Last year: 17-0, state champions.
League: NHIAA Division I.
Returners: Junior — Zach Pearson. Sophomores — Sam Ames, Ryder Wilson, Ian Holmes, Alex Orsino, Ming Liu, Pablo Martin-Asensio.
Newcomers: Juniors — Nick Pais, Henry Werner, Trevor Lichtenstein. Freshman — Ray Menkov.
Outlook: The defending state champion Bears graduated four seniors and return a much younger and less seasoned team to the courts this spring. Sam Ames will debut at No. 1 singles for Hanover, looking to build on his experience as a key member of last year’s title team.
“We have a team with a ton of potential and we have a lot of strong players,” first-year coach Kelly Finn said. “As a team, there is a lot of diversity in playing styles so we’re working on everyone really honing into their own games. We of course hope to make it far this year, but given everyone is returning next year we are working a lot on development and setting longer-term goals.”
Coach: Kate Godek (fourth season).
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Last year: 4-10, lost in first round to Middlebury.
League: VPA Division I, SVL-A division.
Returners: Seniors — Jacob Helms, Nicholas Tsouknakis. Junior — Ricardo Putnam-Pouliot. Sophomores — Sebastian Fraser, Rowan Irvine, Jonah Libens-Mavodones.
Newcomer: Freshman — Arlo Philip.
Outlook: The Hurricanes will be looking to build on what was a successful season a year ago, with four match wins. Hartford’s roster features six returning players ready to take a step forward, led by seniors Jacob Helms and Nicholas Tsouknakis.
Coaches: Tammy and Chard Arado (third season).
Last year: 14-2, lost in state championship match to Oyster River.
League: NHIAA Division II.
Returners: Seniors — Baden Schifferdecker, Finn Ericson. Juniors — Nolan Arado, Will Katz. Sophomore — Kyle Hines.
Newcomers: Sophomores — Lucas Graham, Lavi Halawala.
Outlook: The Raiders return the bulk of a very successful team from a season ago, led by one of the best players in the state in junior Nolan Arado. Lucas Graham is new to varsity but has made good strides in his game from a season ago as a junior varsity player. Hopes are running high for this season with sights set on getting back to the state championship match.
Coach: Kate Godek (fourth season).
Last year: 1-10, lost in first round to Harwood.
League: VPA Division II, SVL B division.
Returners: Seniors — Maggie Dumont, Silvia Hale, Jaklyn LaFountain, Anthem Philip, Cecilia Wendling. Sophomores — Jadeah Bruce, Nike DuMoulin, Larkyn Moodie-Hamilton, Wren Parker.
Newcomers: Sophomore — Harper Fallon. Freshmen — Tallulah Abbey, Michaela Anderson.
Outlook: Hartford returns the bulk of the team from a season ago, led by its five seniors. Coach Kate Godek’s team looks to be ready to take a step forward while the focus will remain on teamwork and strengthening of tennis skills. The sophomore class features several promising players who will play key roles.
Coach: Rob Johnstone (fifth season).
Last year: No varsity team due to a lack of numbers.
League: NHIAA Division III.
Returners: Senior — Aesha Soni. Junior — Adaa Karanwal. (Each played on the varsity team in 2021.)
Newcomers: Seniors — Bella Direnzo, Azzln Arnold. Juniors — Leah Castell, Norah Falcone, Zelie Gimenez, Anna lu Haas, Sophie Longacre, Hannah Rich. Sophomores — Amalia Mladek, Hailey Schibuola. Freshmen — Payton Breedlove, Mariana Utell.
Outlook: The Raiders return to varsity action this season boasting a roster high in turnout, even if low on tennis experience. Aesha Soni and Adaa Karanwal return from the 2021 team and bring much-needed varsity experience to lead this year’s squad.
“The great news is we have 14 other players out for tennis, even though the vast majority have little or no experience playing,” coach Rob Johnstone said. “The early emphasis has been on learning the basics of the game and the enthusiasm has been off the charts.”
Coach: Rob Parker (second season).
Last year: 8-5, lost in quarterfinals to Mount Mansfield.
League: VPA Division II.
Returners: Juniors — Brooke Hecker, Hannah Watson, Sophia Nisimblat, Chloe Masillo, Charlotte Nunan, Tess Belisle. Sophomore — Phoebe Anderson.
Newcomers: Sophomore — Maggie Pierce. Freshmen — Mia Zilian, Chiara Winawer-Stein.
Outlook: The Wasps will not have a senior on this year’s team and hopes are high to take another step forward from what was a solid regular season a year ago.
“We’ve added a bit of depth with some new younger players and the hope is they will have an impact on our group overall. We look forward to a good season,” coach Rob Parker said.