鈥楾eam鈥� mindset serves Sycamore boys tennis as Aviators win state
CINCINNATI — Success in high school tennis is measured both individually and collectively. During the regular season, matches are played on five courts 鈥� three singles and two doubles, seven varsity members in all competing for their schools. Once the postseason begins, players advance on their own merits 鈥� the Ohio High School Athletic Association recognizes singles and doubles champions, but no team champions.
That鈥檚 where the Ohio Tennis Coaches Associations steps in. The group sponsors a team tournament; team compete in four regions 鈥� Central/Southeast/East, Northeast, Northwest and Southwest, in bracketed play, with the four regional champions playing for the state title in Columbus. Sycamore High School鈥檚 boys team emerged from that field as the 2023 OTCA Division I state champion, the school鈥檚 second consecutive title. They defeated Solon and Olentangy orange in the state tournament.
Overall, Sycamore has won 45 straight matches over two seasons, and lost only 10 sets in 2023.
Mike Teets has headed the Aviator program for 23 years, and was the head junior varsity coach for five seasons before that. The Urbana High School graduate and Okeana resident, 54, used the word 鈥渇ocused鈥� to describe his team.
鈥淭his team鈥檚 success was a result of their hard work all year round,鈥� Teets said.
Juniors Andrew Wittenbaum and Arjun Rajagopala were Sycamore鈥檚 team leaders. Wittenbaum, during the regular season, was 7-0 playing singles and 15-0 playing doubles. Rajagopala was 18-0 playing doubles, with no fewer than four partners. The two were 13-0 as a combination.
鈥淭hey are both extremely dedicated and talented, and they encouraged their teammates to continue to work and improve in practice each day,鈥� Teets said.
That leadership proved valuable to a team that lost its No. 1 singles player, Chad Miller, and doubles players Mark Karev and Kevin Dong to graduation after the 2022 season.
鈥淒espite those losses, they still competed like champions,鈥� Teets said. 鈥淭he team is the same in that we did return six players and they are obviously very talented.鈥�
鈥淏ecause of last year鈥檚 success, I knew this team was going to be able to compete with anyone, but I didn鈥檛 know exactly how we would do against some of our biggest rivals. There is no margin for error against those teams,鈥� Teets said.
When the final point was won, and Sycamore had defended its trophy, Teets described it as 鈥渁 moment of pure excitement and satisfaction. These players deserve all the good things that happen to them because of their work ethic and dedication.鈥�
The celebration was relatively brief, Teets said. The Aviators took pictures on the court, then headed home after five days on the road. A family of one of the players hosted a team party a few days later.
Sycamore had won the last two Greater Miami Conference championships and five of the last nine. They also won five league titles in a row from 2004 to 2008, and before that 10 in a row from 1990 through 1999. Teets said it鈥檚 because his players put the team first.
鈥淲e are lucky to have a lot of players who play all year round and who are also willing to be part of a program that values the team first,鈥� he said. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 athletes do not always come prepared to sacrifice for the good of the team, so we are fortunate to have those types of players!鈥�
Sycamore鈥檚 boys tennis roster
Seniors 鈥� Aaron Friedman.
Juniors – Nicholas Choo, Kyle Friedrich, Dhruv Kota, Andrew Mao, Nick Meyers, Arjun Rajagopala, Andrew Wittenbaum.
Meyers was named GMC Athlete of the year and Teets GMC Coach of the Year.
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