The Juanita boys tennis team finished its first season in 3A on a high note with James Russell winning the KingCo tournament in singles.
The Rebels finished 3-3 on the season, good enough for fourth in the league. Juanita spent much of the season feeling its way through a new league because the Rebels moved down from 4A to 3A due to enrollment numbers.
“It’s a whole new cast of opponents,” said Juanita Coach Justin Ochsner.
Russell played in the number one singles spot all season, going 4-1 with just a loss to Bellevue’s Kevin Kosanke. But in the KingCo tournament, Russell got a chance to avenge that loss.
Russell gained momentum early in the tournament by dispatching one of the league’s top players in Mercer Island, Matt Ellis, 6-2, 6-2. Russell then met Kosanke (undefeated in the season up to that point) in the finals for a match that didn’t disappoint.
The first set was a tight battle but Kosanke came out on top 6-4.
“Kevin was a little more consistent in big points and looked like he had the upper hand,” Ochsner said.
The second set went into a tiebreaker and after several momentum switches, Russell came out on top. 7-6 (7-4). That win was the key to Russell’s eventual victory.
“When he won the tiebreaker you could really see the confidence build up in James,” Ochsner said. “His confidence and shot-making carried over into the third set.”
Russell finished Kosanke off with a 6-1 win in the third set. The match lasted three hours and Russell came away with the KingCo title and a trip to the 3A state tournament next spring.
Russell has now made it to the state tournament all three years at Juanita with his best finish being last year. He was the 4A state runner-up in the singles tournament.
After his win at the KingCo tournament, Russell was off to Spokane to play in a club tournament because the boys tennis season splits the competition between the fall and spring.
The Rebels’ number one doubles team also has a chance to make the state tournament. Dayhuk Hahm and Jake Ichikawa placed fifth at the KingCo Tournament and the state tournament allocations haven’t been announced yet.
“We just don’t know yet so we’ll wait,” Ochsner said. “They’ll just keep playing and stay at the top of their game.”
Juanita boys will get about three weeks of organized practice before district and state tournaments take place. Ochsner and the team will have to wait until March to find out if they’ll compete at state.
Ochsner said the duo’s best match may have been the one they lost. Hahm and Ichikawa won a set against Mercer Island’s Max Franklin and Andrew Smith. It was the only lost set for Franklin and Smith who swept through the KingCo tournament as the number one seed. Franklin finished second at state last season.
Hahm also played in the number two singles spot for Juanita this season and finished at 4-1. His lone loss came against Bellevue.
Hahm improved from the number four singles spot last year to fighting right behind Russell on the singles pecking order this season. Ochsner said Russell, Hahm and Ichikawa — all seniors -formed the core of the Rebels’ leadership.
Ichikawa played team tennis for the first time this season. Ochsner said his athleticism made him a natural fit on the tennis court.
