Lansing tennis dominates IAC regular season

When spring rolls around, it’s always a given that Tompkins County produces phenomenal tennis teams. The Ithaca boys team has had back-to-back undefeated regular seasons while Trumansburg won the IAC Championship last season. This time around, there’s a new face leading the IAC.

The Lansing tennis team heads into postseason play with a perfect regular season, winning all 10 of their meets. They’ve done so with a new head coach at the helm. Jamie Saroka took over from Brian Streb this season, who has been a big help for Saroka to get acclimated to Bobcats tennis.

“I’ve kept in close contact with [Streb] to give me insight on the players, to give me a little bit of an idea of where they were last year, and then how I can help them improve this year,” Saroka said. “It’s been good in the sense that I’ve been able to work with the different players.”

Saroka is a familiar face in the Lansing sports scene. He has coached soccer for 18 years and is currently leading the junior varsity boys soccer team. He has also coached modified basketball for 16 years running. Despite being at the helm for a new sport, years of coaching experience have made the transition to tennis seamless.

“With any good coach, developing a good rapport with your players is huge,” Saroka said. “I’ve had many of these players on my soccer team, as well as in modified sports. To be able to step in as a first-year coach, earn the respect, have the kids listen to you, take what you say to heart, and when you have kids that say, ‘Coach, how can I get better? What do I need to work on? And they’re open and willing to try it?’ I think that makes for a strong team, and the results show it.”

One player that has taken the league by storm is Bernardo Simoes. Originally from Brazil, Simoes came to Lansing for this year as an exchange student and has been flat-out dominant every time he steps onto the court. In fact, Simoes did not drop a single set during the regular season. It’s no surprise that he’s the Bobcats’ top singles player, and Saroka shared what makes him such a special talent.

“He has played tennis since his youth,” Saroka said. “I think he’s played at least seven or eight years already, so he has gotten better and better. He’s a strong young man. His serves are what actually help him out a lot. Knowing the game at the level that he does also allows him to excel against all of the other players in the IAC.”

As much as tennis is a physical and high-endurance sport, the mental side of the game is equally, if not more, important. For Simoes, that aspect is something he takes seriously, and he revealed what he does beforehand to get in the zone.

“Every two hours before a match, I just play music,” Simoes said. “I think about myself. I tried to get focused before the match, because I think the most important thing is not a technique but the mindset that you have for the match. If you think positively that you’re gonna win if you believe and if you believe in yourself, I think that’s the best thing that you can do. Get a time for you. Try to think about you, think about what you have learned and all your skills, and you’re able to win.”

With many key players from last season’s team graduating, there have been quite a few players that have stepped up. Toby Rigdon and Carter Watts went from the second doubles pairing last season to the second and third singles players this season, respectively. Rigdon posted a 9-1 record in the regular season while Watts went 7-2.

On the doubles side, the Bobcats boast two strong pairings. Jackson Clary and Nick Scanlon have emerged as the top doubles pairing in the second half of the campaign, winning all seven matches they’ve teamed up for. Meanwhile, Dean Licitra and Aiden Maloney went 9-0 together during the regular season.

With sectionals beginning on May 11, the Bobcats are in prime position to make some noise in the postseason. Simoes and Saroka know that if the team continues to keep an optimistic mindset like they have so far, success will come in time.

“We’re gonna do our best to be better and be positive,” Simoes said. “The coach is really good. We are really friends with each other on the team, so I think that’s really good because everybody knows each other. Everybody’s really good with each other. Everybody’s really nice. We’re really positive. You’re always able to help each other.”

Saroka concluded: “When we compete at the top level, I just have to make sure that my players are focused and that they’re striving to do their best no matter what and trying not to get a lull or let down mentally such that they’ll end up falling short.”