On Thursday the 17th the Highland boy’s tennis team took place in the 5A state tournament. It was the first time in about 5 years that all boys on the team made it to the state tournament. The team was very balanced and felt confident heading into the tournament having a near undefeated season winning every match except for one.

The boys played in all five categories and while facing a tough division was able to win two matches. Freshman Jaden Greenburg was able to win in the first round of singles which is quite the feat for a Freshman. Seniors Abram Toronto and Will Dale were about to win their first-round match to put up another point for the Rams.

But the season was a much greater success than state shows as the Rams were completely dominant in region play. The team was led by Junior Jake Bauman who stepped up to the #1 spot even as a younger player.

“It was a great opportunity for me to play #1 singles and to be able to play against very good players during the season”, Bauman said.

His mindset was a huge reason why he was able to have so much success this season and lead the Rams through a stellar season. Bauman was very happy to play this year the way he did and is ambitious about his future.

“It was awesome and I’m grateful that the whole team supported me while I played some long matches throughout the season. It’s helped me grow because I now know that I want to play at a very high level of tennis and will do whatever I can to perform at my best everyday”, Bauman said.

Bauman hopes to not only keep growing his game but go back to state his Senior year and make an even greater impact. The team is looking to bounce back from what was not what they had pictured at state.

“This year at state Highland didn’t do as well as we hoped, but we’re taking steps forward from last season. Our plan to prepare for next year is to work very hard during the off season with great coaches who are able and willing to work with us. I believe that is everyone gives their best effort in tennis this summer, fall and winter we can come out in the spring ready to go and have a better finish at state next year”, Bauman said.

The boys are eager to start practicing for next season and Bauman is fit to lead the team next year. He’s the perfect example of a team player in a sport where he plays solo. The team didn’t finish the season quite the way they wanted to but can’t forget the excellent season they had.