For the Thomas Jefferson boys tennis team, the only setback of the 2021 campaign came in the state championship match.
In a season to remember, the Cavaliers went 15-1 in duals last spring, falling to Priory in the championship match of the Class 2 state tournament.
Entering the 2022 season, and with their standout performer back on the court for his prep finale, the Cavaliers appear to have the pieces in place for another run at a state title.
“We were very excited about last year’s finish,” Cavaliers coach Tom Brumfield said. “And we’re very excited about the upcoming season, too. We lost two seniors from last year’s team, but we had a pretty deep team. We had a lot of young kids last year, so we’re still excited about the depth on our team. I have a lot of expectations for this team. I feel comfortable about our depth and I think our top spots are looking good.”
Leading the way for the Cavaliers will be senior standout Ian Ding.
Ding put together a stellar junior season, establishing himself as the Joplin area’s top boys tennis player.
Ding finished fourth in the Class 2 singles bracket in ‘21, finishing the season with a record of 27-4. Ding also saw success in doubles with Hari Nagarajan.
“Ian has improved,” Brumfield said. “He’s definitely going to be a player in our area that is going to be fun to watch for anyone that wants to see some good tennis. Ian’s hitting the ball well.”
This will be Ding’s third varsity season. Of course, he missed out on a sophomore campaign due to the pandemic.
The Cavaliers return several other key performers.
Junior Tyler Brouhard, senior Hari Nagarajan and sophomore Prithvi Nagarajan all return after contributing nicely to last year’s success.
Sophomores Lele Qian and Devan Murali are other athletes expected to make an impact after gaining experience last season.
Juniors Nathaniel Curtis and Sam Li and freshman Jack Goodhue are other players competing for varsity spots.
Brouhard and Noah Hamlett finished sixth in the state doubles bracket last year. Hamlett and Christopher Wheelen were the lone seniors on last year’s squad.
Brumfield noted that upcoming challenge matches will determine the varsity spots, including the doubles teams.
“We’ll see how it plays out,” Brumfield said. “We have some young guys who are filling some spots, so we’ll see how it turns out. I think our younger guys have improved since last year, so we’re excited about them.”
Thomas Jefferson opens the season on March 24 with a home match against Webb City.
“We’re ready to see where our lineup falls out,” Brumfield said. “I think it will be an exciting year.”
