Boys finish winning season while providing much hope for the future.
by Robert Lampert
With the completion of their season, the boys’ tennis team looks back on a successful year of working their way up the ranks.
In contrast with teams of the past, 2008 proved to be a year of reconstruction and revamping as a crop of new players, as well as a new coach, joined the long line of Spartan tennis teams. With a fresh, youthful feeling, the team geared up under the leadership of their new coach, Joel Belmer.
Belmer, a kindergarten teacher at Highlands Ranch Learning Center and former college player at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, GA., was eager to jump on such an opportunity.
As the team prepared hard for its upcoming season, nothing could brace them for the Conifer Lobos, losing 7-0 at TJ. Trouble continued for the Spartans as they took on Abraham Lincoln but fell short with a score of 4-3. At that point in the season, things looked grim for the rookie Spartan team, yet it didn’t take long for the senior leadership to shine through as the boys found themselves on top after defeating Montbello 7-0.
A clean sweep of the Warriors was the head full of steam the team was looking for as they charged into their next match. But no one, not even Belmer, could foresee what lied ahead for his Spartan team. The boys’ next three matches would put them up against the three best teams in DPS (coincidentally, the same three teams to defeat the Spartans eight out of the past ten years).
The boys knew wins against any of these teams would almost guarantee them a top seed in regional play. A tough match against GW proved to be more than trying for the boys, but their resiliency shined through as they captured a monumental win with a score of 4-3. “A win over George [Washington] was huge; beating them was exactly what we needed to show the DPL our team is the real deal,” said senior #1 Doubles player P.J. Sleichter.
The boys were finding their rhythm as they steamrolled Denver South, 5-2. The wins followed as the boys snagged 2nd place in South Rebel Invitational. Teams competing included Denver South, Bishop Machebeuf, and Littleton. At this point it appeared nothing could slow the boys’ roll, but a meeting with Denver East in dual play proved to be quite daunting, as the boys fell for the first time in over a month, losing 7-0. But the squad didn’t let their troubles with the Angels stand in their way as they rekindled their winning ways against North and Kennedy to finish out the season.
With the arrival of October came the long awaited Regionals, and the boys were rearing to go. Things looked promising as TJ placed players in seeds higher than ever before. Notables were #1 doubles duo P.J. Sleichter and Tom Gengler, snagging the 4th seed along with #3 singles Robert Lampert, also entering in the 4th seed. The boys competed against some of the most potent talent in their region, as they battled it out against Alexander Dawson, Evergreen, Denver North, Arvada, John F. Kennedy and top ranked Colorado Academy.
While the team competed hard, Colorado Academy came to play, sweeping all but one spot, sending ten of their players to state competition. The Spartans took 4th in all spots but two, with # 3 doubles pair Dominic Murray and Ganbayar Bayarsaikhan taking 3rd after beating Alexander Dawson and losing to Evergreen. This was certainly a notable win, seeing as this was the only freshman duo on the team.
Next year looks bright as Belmer will be back to coach eight returning players, Mitch Montgomery, Tom Gengler, Andrew Becker, Ganbayar Bayarsaikhan, Dominic Murray, Michael Heins, Christopher Moore and Scott Bruskin.
