Expectations High for Lakeland Boys Tennis

With 11 returning letter winners, expectations are high this season for the Lakeland boys tennis team.

But it’s not only the quantity of varsity players returning but their quality that has head coach Sean Beacome excited about this year’s prospects following a second-place finish in the KLAA North division in 2010. The top two players, Ross Kynast and Alex Garrigo, return for their fourth season and are expected to remain in the lineup somewhere at the singles positions.

“I expect both of them to have huge seasons,” Beacome said. “They have a tremendous amount of experience and they played at (No. 1 and No. 2 singles) last year, so they should know what to expect.”

Lakeland will also benefit from getting Milford transfer Alexander Kim, who as a freshman was the No. 1 singles player for the Mavericks last season. No matter how the upcoming challenge matches end up, adding Kim to the singles roster will add a significant amount of depth, giving Lakeland a chance to win all of its singles matches in any dual meet or tournament.

“With these three young men at the singles spots we will have a formidable lineup,” Beacome said. “We still don’t know where all they will be positioned, but we know it will be very competitive for us.”

The Eagles’ returning experience at the doubles positions includes three-year lettermen Conor Manley, Alex Peck and Steven Houtschilt, all of whom are seniors. A large pool of returning juniors and sophomores will be entering their second seasons at the varsity level, and Beacome expects them to build off their experience.

Juniors Grant LaVosseur, Nick Vrahoretis and Kenny Miller will be challenged by sophomores Varun Dayana, Austin Herbert and Terry Haren for starting positions. And it is possible that a crew of incoming freshmen could also compete for varsity positions. Beacome expects to carry 16 players on the varsity team.

“We are going to be solid and we expect the returning junior varsity players to really make for some interesting (challenging matches),” Beacome said. “We could have freshmen fill out the squad and just don’t know how good those guys could be yet.

“I expect that this season we will continue to compete for a division title and a KLAA Lakes Conference championship at the end of the season. I believe we have a good blend of talent and experience and can really compete right away.”

Another addition to the program this year is new junior varsity coach Colin McNutt, a 2006 Lakeland graduate who earned four letters on the Eagles varsity program and served as team captain and the No. 1 singles player his senior year.

“Colin will be a great leader for our players and is a great addition to our staff,” Beacome said. “It’s all part of what we feel will be a great year.”