The boys tennis team will look to capitalize on their recent district title and secure a spot in the state championship tournament with a victory at sectionals in Springfield on this Saturday, May 18. The Bruins won all six matches against Jefferson City at the district championship to capture the team title.
“It’s good to go into sectionals on a high note,” varsity junior Jacob Winton said, “but we still need to stay focused in order to win; we’re going to be playing some good teams.”
A district win is nothing new for boys tennis, as they have won the past 14 district titles, as well as the last three state titles. In order to have a chance to play for the state title on May 23 in Springfield, the Bruins will need to defeat Glendale High School in the first round of sectionals, and then the winner of the other first round match-up between Joplin and Springfield Central.
The team is playing strong coming into the tournament, as exemplified in their win over Camdenton and Jefferson City, as well as strong performances by the doubles teams. These teams included Winton with sophomore Rohit Rao and senior Alexander Jones paired with senior Billy Swift in individual sectionals, in which both duos advanced to the individual’s state tournament.
Winton believes his performance has been “pretty good compared to the rest of the season,” Winton said. “It was definitely up there. We played really well.”
With the confidence that the team holds, it hopes to continue this streak of good performance in the upcoming competition.
“We did really well in districts. We looked strong,” Coach Mallory Webber said. ”I think if we do everything we’re supposed to do we should come away in the way we want to and head on to the state tournament.”