074 boys tennis

As the top of the varsity team, there is almost no room for error. MICHAEL FREIBURGER and SPENCER SELINGER, they never miss the opportunity to shine in their hard earned positions. As seniors, they both leave it all on the court and have since their first year. Freiburger and Selinger are both returning varsity players and took on bigger roles this year than ever before. Prior to this season, neither player ever expected to work well together and were not originally looking forward to working as a team. “Last year we were in competition for rankings on the team, so that created high tension between us,” Freiburger said. “Initially, because of these disputes, we were both a little uneasy about being paired up. Since then, we have become really close

and are finding lots of success.” Seeking multiple wins this season, they came to realize that they were great doubles partners. They balance each other out very well with both of their unique individual strengths. “Michael is very good at playing at the net and I am more of a back of the court player because I can hit very solid, heavy strokes,” Selinger said. “I think we have a very good group dynamic because we balance each other out really well.” One distinct match that the boys capitalized on was against Millard North. After taking a loss to them previously, they were both determined to compete their best during their second chance. Instead of focusing on their individual strengths, they search how to work as a whole. “We finally figured out how to adjust,

since I’m a righty and he’s a lefty,” Selinger said. “Another key component to winning over Millard North was the wind that day. Michael and I both know we play best in the wind, while most doubles struggle, so we made sure to take advantage of that.” The monumental win led to confirmation that they will be finishing the season as partners. Head boys tennis coach, TOM KOZIOK sees the change they need. “On paper, they look really good, which is why I paired them up,” Koziok said. “Yet until the Millard North meet, I was still unsure just because you have to have the chemistry, but during that match something just clicked.” As the season progressed, their communication grew beyond initial expectations. Later, this resulted in more wins and an unforgettable senior season.

Doubles partners from a troubled past to now having a blast on court

IN FULL SWING With his eyes on the prize, senior MICHAEL FREIBURGER readies his racket. With half of his team cheering him on against Creighton Prep, he performs well with the encouragement and dosn’t crack under pressure. “One thing that we do different is our teammates hype each other up every match,” Freiburger said. “Unlike other schools we get emotionally attached to every match and give it all we have every time.”

Frenemies

photo by Elise Nyffeler

toVictories

Elise Nyffeler

075fall sports

TAP FOR GOOD LUCK Keeping his eyes on the prize, junior TANNER KLAHN plays comfortably after completing his good luck ritual. Before each point, he makes sure to hit the net two to three times with his racket. “It all started at the beginning of this year’s tennis season,” Klahn said. “I first did it before a point once. We then won, so I have done it the whole season ever since.”

A YOUNG START Serving up Creighton Prep, senior KENTON YOUNG fights to win every point as State approaches. Competing at a high level is something Young has dreamt of since his very first lesson at age 10. “I started with lessons as a kid and it has helped me be able to compete with the toughest competition,” Young said. “This year was special because I was able to play in the number one spot and medal at State for the first time.”

GREEN MACHINE Always showing his school spirit, sophomore FLETCHER KUPER, who never planned to coordinate, stands out with his neon gear. In need of new equipment for the season, Kuper searched through Amazon for some new socks, finding green as his only option. “I prefer neon over boring colors,” Kuper said. “I never planned to color coordinate all my gear, but it just ended up this way. I’m glad my gear turned out to be our school colors because I love school spirit.”

DOUBLE TROUBLE Pressing the net, sophomores COLIN SCHULTE and OWEN SEIM use communication to dominate the court. In their first year together as partners, talking was key to their success. “Since we were able to grow a lot from last year, we are able to compliment each other’s skills,” Seim said. “As good friends, we get along really well which allows us to be able to joke around and have fun while playing.”

FLYING FOREHAND Hitting off his first year of high school tennis, freshman DAVID FREIBURGER reaches to hit what Creighton Prep served up. The JV team rose to the challenge, but fell to their opponent after hard fought matches. “Even after the loss, it was still a great learning experience,” Freiburger said. “Every meet no matter the outcome has helped me develop as a player and look forward to the future.”

photo by Drew Heller photo by Drew Heller

Game Face Activated

“This season I have really been focusing on getting back into my rhythm after not training this summer. Besides working hard, there is still lots of fun. I love joking around with the new freshman and we all nickname each other. For me, the nickname ‘Candy Man’ caught on because of my last name.”Arya Kandi’21

“My best match was against Millard North. The meet was tied 4-4. It came down to the wire. Tied 8-8, we went into a tie breaker. The game lasted over two hours long, but my strategy was to tire my opponent out. This paid off when I won the tiebreaker. We had finally beat the Mustangs for the first time in 15 years.”JACOB ANDERSEN’20

“Before every match, I think about all that I have been practicing and how I will use it in order to win, and that gets me pumped up. By the time the match starts, I am mentally locked in and I know what needs to be done. I take the game very seriously because of my competitive nature.”Connor Wanetka’20

“One thing I will always remember about this season was after State. We went to Raising Cane’s to celebrate the season and finishing strong, and we ended up having an eating contest. It was really easy for us to plow because we were all worn out and super hungry from the long day of tennis. ”Justin Ye’22

“My favorite part about tennis this year was being able to look up to my brother. He’s always supporting me and is a really inspiring role model both on and off the court. By watching upperclassmen players as a freshman, they strive to play harder and hopefully earn a varsity spot eventually in the future. ”Jason Wanetka’23

“You know you are a tennis player when you find tennis balls all over your room. Since it’s my first year playing, I wasn’t used to finding them everywhere. I found them in unexpected places such as under my bed and in my car. I would even find some I didn’t even know I lost in my backpack.”Manas Moondra’23

photo by Drew Hellerphoto by Elise Nyffeler photo by Drew Hellerphoto by Elise Nyffeler

photo by Elise Nyffeler

photo by Elise Nyffeler

photo by Drew Heller

photo by Elise Nyffelerphoto by Elise Nyffeler

Both teams reflect on their memories throughout the season

TheCourt

DecidesJV team hits the polls

Backhand or forehand

75%25%

“I am different than most of the other players because I prefer playing with my backhand. I do not know why, it just feels more natural to play that way. I find it easier for me to hit with cordination and accuracy.”Hogan Wright’21

Forehand

Backhand

Color of a tennis ball

75%

25%

Yellow

Green

“I definitely think that a tennis ball is yellow. I do not understand how people think that it could be green. If the ball was green, then it would match our school colors, but that is just my opinion.”CONNOR STASKIEWICZ’23

CAP OR NO CAP

58.3%Cap

41.7% No Cap

“I always wear a hat when I am playing because it helps keep the sun out of my eyes so I can focus and see the ball clearly”Nicholas Andrade’22

Elise Nyffeler Millard West High School Yearbook Sports Feature Writing