Holt Rams Boys Varsity Tennis Invitational 

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Tournament Recap

Schools Attending 

1. GR Christian 
2. Parma Western
3. Lansing Catholic 
4. Midland
5. Romeo
6. South Lyon East
7. Holt
8. Zeeland East

The Eagles had an early morning as they departed from Grand Rapids around 6 30am to make their way to the Lansing area, where they competed against seven different schools. We finished third overall in the tournament and gained more experience as players and as a team in what it means to be supportive. The boy's decided that their overall goal for the tournament would be consistency. Working hard to control what they can and focus on making that one extra shot over the net. It is safe to say they succeeded as they brought back four medals in total. 

Matches 

Callum Campbell

1 Singles: Consolation Draw First Place

Callum started his first match against South Lyon East. He could not brake his opponent's momentum and lost his first round. The loss did not overthrow Callum's confidence, and he responded with a strong will to compete wholeheartedly without giving up. Callum won his next two matches purely based on being determined and focused on outplaying his opponent by being the most consistent player on the court.  

Isaiah Bos

2 Singles: Main Draw Runner Up

Silver Medal

Isaiah pushed the limit when it came to physical endurance on the court as he had to outplay his opponents based on fitness or "who would get tired first." His physical fitness and ability to construct strategic points gave him the edge to win his first two matches. He stayed mentally tough and pushed through the fatigue that comes with playing two singles.  After winning his first two matches, Isaiah fell short of securing his third match for first place in the main draw.

Richard VerHoef

3 Singles: Main Draw Runner Up

Silver Medal 

Richard stood out as the most consistent player with his tennis and mental toughness. Richard gets every ball back. He also hits the ball deep and forces his opponents to play more defensive tennis, allowing him to play more aggressively. Richard defeated Lansing Catholic and Parma West to secure his spot in the final. He was unable to secure his match again Holt in the final but by no means gave his opponent an easy win. Great effort, commitment, and focus from Richard. 

Spencer Slagboom

4 Singles: Consolation Draw Third Place  

Spencer played very strategic tennis. He focuses on getting low under the ball and moving faster with his feet. He also changed his tennis tactics as he sliced and tried to come to the net several times to put pressure on his opponents. Spencer is quickly developing into a very tactical tennis player. Spencer secured a win against Midland and battled hard against Romeo and South Lyon East but could not secure the win. 

Taehon (George) Kwon / Julian Seger

1 Doubles: Main Draw Third Place

Bronze Medal

George and Julian played competitive tennis with many different learning experiences. Both players got to practice mental toughness as they had to work hard for every point. They were able to defeat Lansing Catholic but could not break the momentum of Romeo. They won two matches and lost one.

Alejandro (Alex) Sobrino Monto / Adam Workman

2 Doubles: Consolation Draw First Place 

Alex Monto and Adam had a difficult first match against Holt. Still, they learned and adapted to new strategies as they took on Zeeland East and then got the final win over Midland. Both players started to make more first serves and hit very aggressively from the baseline while securing points at the net. They were 2-1 for the tournament and exceeded expectations.

Nathaniel Zwart / Josh VanSchepen 

3 Doubles: Consolation Draw First Place

Nathaniel and Josh worked hard on footwork, keeping the ball away from the net player and making their first serves. The more they played, the more confidence they gained, and their work ethic defeated Midland and Zeeland East. 

Nate Scheffler / Calub Nykamp

4 Doubles:Main Draw Runner Up

Silver Medal 

Nate and Calub played all their points wholeheartedly. They give everything they have when they play, and both are outstanding athletes. They exhibited maximum effort during all their matches and had to deal with some mental hurdles as the wind started to create some challenging conditions for ball control. They lost in the final round against Parma West in a super tiebreaker, and the match could have gone either way.