The 2015 West Bloomfield High School boy’s Tennis team consisted of numerous seniors who have developed and persevered together for the past 4 years. These athletes worked tirelessly under the scorching sun of the summer, before others dared to think about school, in order to prepare for their competitive fall season, each year. These individuals established long lasting relationships with each other, while competing in adrenaline-filled matches against their most hated opponents. These players, however were not just here to make new friends, they were here to improve themselves as athletes and develop their character. These individuals strived to establish dominance throughout the league, to keep building the Laker Legacy. 11 seniors look to move on to the real world and carry key memories, like the ones made while playing tennis with their best friends, on forever and pass them onto others. Kevin Rothstein (1 singles), Daniel Eilender (2 singles, captain), Josh Jankelovitz (3 doubles), Gabriel Villa (3 singles, captain), Nikhil Sundaram (5 doubles), Max Singer (2 doubles, captain), Eli Ravid (3 doubles), Rupin Balahadra (1 doubles), Anthony Chen (4 doubles), Jonathan Nirenberg (2 doubles, captain), and Mark Gladshtegn (5 doubles) make up the exceptional group of seniors that have contributed to the program in numerous ways and have remained dedicated.

Jankelovitz played doubles on the Laker team and now looks forward attending Michigan State University in hopes of aspiring to major in psychology. When asked about his high school highlight and the impacts of being of the team,  Jankelovitz answered, “My high school career highlight would probably be making new friends. Being on the team has taught me how to be a team player and how you can rely on other people for support and help. I have made many new friends that I will be able to experience college with as well.”

Nirenburg played doubles and assumed the leader role of team captain. Nirenburg will be attending the University of Pennsylvania and plans to double major in biology and business. He also hopes to further his high school tennis career in his collegiate days on the club team. In response to questions about his favorite memory and the impact the sport had, Nirenburg stated that, “Being named one of the captains of the team for my senior year had to be a major highlight. Tennis is a Life long game and I will be able to play for the rest of my life and use it as a medium to meet and get to know people.”

Villa was named one of the captains of the senior team and played singles throughout the year. Villa is headed to the University of Michigan and is continuing to explore the possibilities of what to major in. Villa seeks to continue to play tennis in his college years on the school’s club team. When asked about his high school tennis highlight, Villa explained that, “Winning three doubles regionals with Daniel Eilander freshmen year, and also placing 6th at states as a team could never be forgotten.” Villa continued to explain the impact of the sport by saying, “Tennis is a sport that you can enjoy for a lifetime. I learned discipline, hard work and I have experienced many failures and success throughout my tennis career. Tennis helped mold who I am today and I will continue to enjoy it until I am old and retired.”

Ravid concluded his extraordinary high school career playing doubles and now is focusing on his future at the University of Michigan and planning to major in business. Ravid responded to what his high school career highlight was by saying, “Senior year, playing varsity with my good friends, and having a great time.” Ravid continued to explain the impact tennis has had on him by explaining, “It has taught me both how to work as a team, and how to take responsibility for your actions.”

The WBHS tennis team had a great season and sent the seniors off with pride. This talented team had many notable games, one of which included a 5-3 victory against WB rival Walled Lake Northern to start the season off strong. With 11 seniors graduating, the WBHS tennis team will look to transition a large group of current underclassmen onto the varsity team. And to all the seniors who graduate, the West Bloomfield community wishes them all the best of luck for their new chapter in life.