The Wall Hawks tennis team placed first at state this year, beating two rival teams to claim the championship. 

“The major amount of competition came in our semifinal and final rounds where we played Peaster and Mason,” senior Jacob Felger said. 

According to senior Grace Wilde, the road to beating those two schools was not an easy one. The team had to dig deep to make it happen.

“I, along with my team, put in a lot of hours of work and practice,” Wilde said. “It’s also important to have good team chemistry so we had several team dinners and activities to bond with each other.”

The team practiced after school, on weekends, early in the morning and even late at night in an effort to hone their skills to the best of their ability.

“We practiced everyday and prepared for the unique conditions at the state meet.” Felger said. 

The frequency of practice not only brought the team the win they were shooting for; it also brought them closer together.

“It is a really exciting and rewarding experience,” Wilde said of all the time put in. “It’s also a great way to bond with my teammates.”

Tennis coach Coby Velez said he is proud of his team and the commitment they showed this season.

“It feels great knowing that we accomplished this much,” Velez said. “It shows that hard work pays off.”