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One goal has already been accomplished for The Woodstock Academy boys’ tennis team and the season is just getting underway.
“We doubled the numbers from last year, we’re looking great,” said assistant athletic director Ann Rathbone, who coaches both the boys’ and girls’ program for the Centaurs. “We have around 26 athletes out, so the mission has been accomplished, we wanted to grow the program. We have a handful of international students playing- it’s great.”
The Centaurs lost a couple of key contributors to graduation including Tyler Huhtanen.
“He was extraordinary,” Rathbone said.
Huhtanen made it to the Eastern Connecticut Conference singles championship where he was shut down by Alex Zuczek of St. Bernard who won his fourth straight ECC singles title.
“Tyler was a great player. We could always count on him to get a win when we needed one,” senior Will Gajewski said. “This year, we have a lot of great talent coming in lower on the ladder. I think, losing Tyler, means we may have a little more trouble in the No. 1 and 2 singles, but we’re going to have a lot of wins at No. 4 singles and in the doubles.”
It will leave a void at the No. 1 spot.
“We don’t have him, but we have better numbers so that should equate to more victories for us and, hopefully, a better program,” Rathbone said.
The Centaurs, who finished 7-9 overall last season, also lost No. 4 singles player Matt Papp.
A native of Germany, Fabian Meiser, and Gajewski, who return as seniors, will try to make up for the loss of Huhtanen.
But there will be others challenging Meiser and Gajewski for the top spots.
Sophomore David Fleck and freshman Riley Douglas have both shown promise.
Senior Jacob Murphy, junior Matt Tiffany and sophomore Aidan Stewart are also in the mix. “They’re challenging. The more they push each other, the better we will be,” Rathbone said. Another senior, Taerang Bae, is a newcomer on the team. The Centaurs finished 1-5 in Division II of the Eastern Connecticut Conference last season, well behind perennial powers, Stonington and Waterford.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director