Photo by Jake Olson: Back row L to R Tim Slama, Jensen Schomberg, Audrina Suckow, Cameron Nelson, Zachary Ashland, Parker Olsen, Laura Olsen: Middle Row L to R Carter Simmering, Rylan Truesdell, Isaac Oltjenbruns, Leander Nelson, Hudson Clayton: Front row L to R Jonah Wurster, Max Coan, Grant Simmering, Lilly Ortega, Lila Daugherty: Not pictured: Tyler Slama Jonah Vetter Calixta Tessendorf Aiden Mutschler Caden Deuel Xiomara Guerra

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont boys tennis team will be counting on a handful of returning players and new athletes to compete during the 2026 spring season. Cardinals head coach Laura Olsen lost six varsity-level athletes due to graduation.

“We graduated a lot of our varsity starters who were solid players last year,” Olsen said. “So I’m really excited to see who’s going to step up this year for those who are returning, as well as a lot of brand new players.”

Tyler Slama and Lilly Ortega are two returning individuals with doubles and singles experience from last season. Zachary Ashland is a name fans can expect to see in the lineup this season as a senior, as Olsen says he can help out in a variety of roles on and off the court.

Eighth-grade duo Leander Nelson and Hudson Clayton seem to be coming back to the roster with improvements since the off-season. Jonah Vetter will be expected to fill bigger shoes after playing solid doubles last season.

“We’ve got a handful of returning players but also a lot of brand new players, so that should be really fun,” Olsen said.

The team consists of two seniors this season, with Audrina Suckow joining Ashland in this category. Olson thinks these two can help benefit the team in more ways than one when it comes to leadership.

“We’ve got a first-year senior [Audrina Suckow], and have been getting some of those the past couple seasons,” Olsen said. “Audrina is going to be a leader for us. She’s a really fun personality and brings some good energy to the team.”

Olsen and the Cardinals have been able to take advantage of the favorable weather during their first week of practice, playing outside and strengthening their skills in the elements.

“We’ve actually been outside all week until now and have gotten some good reps on the court,” Olsen said. “The other day, we got to practice in the wind, which is good because there tend to always be at least a couple of matches where you deal with that. …But we’ve had some really good practices, and being outside is not the norm for the start of the season.”