Despite losing two-time state qualifier Dylan Victor to graduation, the Ankeny boys’ tennis team returns most of its singles players from last year’s squad.
There are 23 boys on the roster, about eight more than the last few seasons.
“When we had five of our six singles players returning, there was a good deal of optimism,” said Ankeny coach Ron Miller. “But unfortunately, Trent James is out for the season.”
James, who played at No. 6 singles a year ago, will miss the season after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this month. However, the Hawks still boast a strong nucleus led by Garrett Weichers, Grady Schlosser, Michael Black and Treyton Riesberg.
Weichers will likely take over the No. 1 singles spot that was vacated by Victor, who was a state qualifier in singles in 2024. The duo won a Class 2A district title in doubles last year to qualify for state, where they dropped a pair of matches in straight sets.
Weichers also posted a 10-2 record at No. 2 singles. He went a perfect 3-0 at the Johnston Invitational to win the No. 2 flight.
Schlosser posted a 5-4 mark at No. 3 singles. He played singles along with James at the district tournament, where they both went 1-1.
Black and Riesberg played at the No. 4 and 5 positions, respectively. They helped Ankeny to records of 2-6 in the CIML Conference and 3-8 overall, including a second consecutive 6-5 win over Ankeny Centennial after the Hawks had not defeated their rival since 2017.
Ankeny later posted a 5-0 victory over Des Moines Roosevelt in a Class 2A substate quarterfinal. The Hawks then dropped a 5-2 decision to Linn-Mar (Marion) in the semifinal round.
Practice started on Monday for Miller’s team, which will open its season on Tuesday by hosting a non-conference meet against Ballard (Huxley).
“With our assistant coach resigning three weeks ago and no replacement in sight, our season will start a little slower,” Miller said. “But I am confident that our upperclassmen-heavy roster will stay on track to be better at the end of the season.”