Junior Garrett Weichers helped the Ankeny boys’ tennis team to a 6-5 victory over visiting Ballard (Huxley) in its season opener on Tuesday.
Weichers posted a 6-1, 6-0 win over Easton Ersland at No. 1 singles. He then combined with Treyton Riesberg for a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over Seth Hilleman and Eli Preston in the No. 1 doubles match.
Here is some inside info on Weichers:
Congratulations on the win over Ballard. Were you happy with how you played?
Thank you, it was a great way to start off the season. We’ve definitely struggled in the past during the beginning of the year, so it was super encouraging to start off strong. I was thrilled with the way I played–there is always some uncertainty to start off the season, but I was able to get into a rhythm very quickly and never slowed down.
You lost only one game in your singles match. Were you surprised that you were so dominant in your first match of the season?
Yes, that was super surprising to me, even though I really didn’t know what to expect in the first match. Unfortunately, my pattern is typically starting slow in a match and digging an early hole, but that was not the case against Ballard! I was excited to be out on the court again, and as soon as the match began, I felt great about it. Nearly all my shots were working, and my strategies as well: both from myself and my coaches fell into place perfectly. I was nervous it would be a longer and tougher match, but it ended up taking less than an hour. I did lessons all winter at Ames Fitness, and I think that’s a major part of my improvement.
Which facets of your game were working the best, or were they all pretty much working well?
My serve was definitely an outlier, as I was struggling a bit in the wind and had to slow it down. Besides that, my groundstrokes were as good as I’ve ever seen them, and even my volleys–which are usually a weakness–were near perfect. At times, my frustration can become a challenge, but I was totally relaxed the entire time. I’m hoping I can maintain that level all year, and it was great to perform like that in front of my friends and family who were there watching.
You then teamed up with Treyton for another win in doubles. Do you think the two of you are already developing some pretty good chemistry on the court?
It’s no secret that doubles were rough last year, and it was the reason we lost multiple matches. I think coach Ron (Miller) has done a great job of mixing up the doubles teams and finding the best pairings. Treyton and I are good friends outside of tennis as well, and ever since practices started up, it seemed imminent we would play together. Playing at the No. 1 spot is always a tall task, so it was huge for us to pick up the win. We communicate and we played unbelievably well together, and despite dropping some late games, we stayed relaxed and fought through for the victory. I had a ton of fun–that was one of the most enjoyable days of tennis I can remember.
You qualified for state in doubles last year while playing with Dylan Victor, who graduated last spring. Did you learn a lot from playing with him?
Absolutely–he’s been my doubles partner for essentially all my career. Our families know each other as well, and he’s great to be around. Our matches at districts in Iowa City are to this day one of my all-time favorite memories. That semifinal was the best doubles match we played all year, and it came at the perfect time. I remember back in my freshman year, I would always end up getting him almost killed at the net, and that’s really how I learned doubles strategy. You wouldn’t believe the growth we had over those two years, and he taught me nearly everything I know about doubles.
What has been the biggest adjustment for you in having a different partner this season?
I think the biggest challenge in having a different partner is the style of play. When I played with Dylan, we were able to maintain our playing and build off each other simply by making good shots. Now that I’m playing with Treyton, we are typically more high energy in general in order to play at that same level.
What did you think of your team’s performance against Ballard?
It wasn’t the prettiest, but I’m super glad we won. Last year, like our loss to Southeast Polk, I felt like we had some big letdowns that sort of placed frustration on the team. It was really important that we won this one to set the tone for the season and put off that trend. It’s a disappointment that Trent (James) is injured, but Perez (Perez) did a good job picking up the slack. Our No. 2 doubles didn’t get the result they wanted, but Grady (Schlosser) and Michael (Black) are really good players, and I know they’ll get back on track.
Your team won three of the five doubles matches to secure the victory. Do you think this team will have more success in doubles than it did last year?
I’m really hoping we do–our team will be able to achieve so much more with success in that area. I think lots of credit goes to our Nos. 4 and 5 doubles teams, who picked up wins for us. Last year, the bottom of our lineup really struggled at times, but without their wins on Tuesday, we would not have won the overall match. In general, we have switched around some of the doubles pairs, and it has worked to our advantage. After going 3-3 in singles, I think many of us were nervous of losing given the state of our doubles last year. I’m extremely encouraged that we pulled off the victory from our doubles.
At the No. 1 spot, you’ll have to compete against some of the state’s top singles players this season. Are you ready for that challenge?
I believe I am ready for those challenges. As a freshman, I played the No. 1 spot toward the beginning of the year due to Dylan’s injury, and I faced three or four of the top 10 players in the state. I know I won’t win all my matches, but I’m hoping I can learn some things to gear up for the postseason. There are definitely people I will play this year better than me, but my goal is to take care of business in my winnable matches.
What are your goals for the season?
My goal for our team is to reach the substate final. For the last few years, we have come up short in the semifinal, and I think it’s time we break through into uncharted territory. Once there, all it would take is another win to qualify for state. As for personal goals, the main one is to return to state. I know I am more talented as a singles player than doubles, but I also think it would be great to qualify with a partner like last year. For the regular season, it’s hard to tell what I’m going up against in each match at No. 1, but I want to take care of business in the matches I’m expected to win, and give my best shot against anyone ranked higher.