Seniors: Lane Miller

Lane has been a leader for the team since the time he started as a freshman. Then, he was just a leader and encourager of his class, but he has grown from that. And the appropriate term for Lane would probably be lead encourager, because that is what he is when he is at his best.

I also love Lane’s ability to differentiate time, place, and intensity. In other words, he is one who knows when it is time to work and when it is time to have fun. During practice drills, I can count on him to be working and challenging others to work. During team games, he’s relaxing and encouraging and cheering his teammates on.

By far, my favorite memory of Lane is when we was cheering his team on. It’s probably stuck in my mind because we have a video of it, and also because he often repeats it. But when we won Sectional in Lane’s sophomore year, Lane was so pumped afterward as we sung Sarasponda. At the end of the song, he turned away with fists clenched in joy and yelled, “Wooo!” There was such joy in that.

It also showed that Lane invests in other people. He really does. I know that he has been one to encourage others throughout the season. I remember reading his comments on Facebook last year, directing to a teammate who was struggling at the time, building them up and telling them he was there. He cares about others and has bought into the idea that the season is better if it’s about the team, not just about yourself.

Lane has also had his share of great tennis matches. From his sophomore season with Brandon as his partner, where they almost went undefeated, to pulling out the Westview match last year with Jackson, to his series of third set victories this year with Dustin. No match was as clutch in my mind as the tiebreak victory over Goshen. Not just his incredible overhead return lob winner, but the whole third set Lane where played with confidence.

I pray that confidence in Christ also continues to lead Lane. I believe that Lane has great skills of supporting and leading others, so I pray that he will be a devoted follower of Jesus. Thanks Lane, for your leadership and love.

John 13:12-15
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

Moments of Beauty: Goshen

Moment of Beauty #1: Lane Miller
Throughout Dustin and Lane's match, there were numerous moments of beauty. Part of the reason I can remember them is because I stood there watching so much of their match deciding third set. Also, they played a ridiculous amount of high quality shots. These shots especially included their solid, simple returns, driven at the feet of their opponents. But the one shot that stands out as memorable and beautiful wasn't a groundstroke. It was a lucky reflex volley. Lane was being attacked by an overhead, as he stood just three feet beyond the net. The score was 5-1 favoring the Bruins in the third set tiebreak. The overhead was pounded beautifully at Lane, and trying to get out of the way and protect himself, Lane threw up his racket in defense. It hung with the handle near his right ear and the face of the racket covering his back. As he spun, the overhead hit the strings of his racket with perfection, accidentally lobbing over Goshen's net man and landing in the back right corner of the court. The Red Hawk players were shocked, stuttered and didn't react in time to reach it. It was a memorable moment in one of our all time memorable matches.

Moment of Beauty #2: Simon Hurst and Brandon Nguyen
Sometimes moments of beauty don't have to be from shots. In the third set of their important match at #1D, Simon and Brandon worked their way toward match point. At match point, Brandon rocketed a return crosscourt that Diego Torres tried to lob. Simon got under the weak lob and began to imagine his glorious overhead ending the match. Not quite, as he framed it and sent the ball spinning wildly toward the center of the court. Torres quickly scooped the sideways bouncing ball up, but set Brandon up for the match winning overhead. Brandon swung hard, and sent the ball straight sideways into Byeong's court and almost into the side fence. Both had a chance at glory, both failed, and now we were back to deuce in the game. And they looked at each other and laughed! I loved it. Tennis is fun, and being able to laugh off mistakes and relax and refocus is key to great victories. It's beautiful to see players not take each mistake, even big ones, too seriously.

Moment of Beauty #3: The Team
It was nice to have a rallying match for the team tonight, a match that we could all get together and watch. It was nice that the final match on mattered to whether we won or lost as a team. Because seeing the team seated together and cheering, encouraging, and being together - that's one of my most favorite things! Unfortunately, you don't all get locker stickers :-)

Letters from Elkhart Central

Background,
I realize that most days I've just been writing letters and not really describing what happened in the match. This was a really good story that I want to tell a little bit.

Elkhart Central came into this evening as the 5th ranked team in District 2. District 2 covers the northeast corner of the state, from south of Fort Wayne to all of the Elkhart county schools. So, that's a fancy way of saying they are a very good team. Going into the match, I knew that we had a good opportunity.

The matches started out very tense. Every position was close except for Sol's #3S match (that would change :-). We held slight leads at #2S and #1D and were down slightly at #2D and #1S. All of sudden, Byeong broke through and took a 3-2 lead into a 5-2 lead at #2S. His strokes and especially his accuracy began to break his opponent, who became more and more frustrated as the match progressed. Byeong took the first set and Elkhart's #2 could never really mount a challenge in the 2nd set.

The same pattern then followed at #1D. Holding a 4-3 lead we turned 2 games in a row to take the set. All of a sudden the floodgates opened and Hans and Simon were putting away volleys and gaining lots of points off errors. In the second set, the Blazers could not really fight back and we actually won the second set 6-0. So the Bruins had two points and needed only one more.

Except that the other positions had gone the other way. Jesse had lost the first set and now found himself down 1-4 in the second. Ryan and Ethan had lost a very tight first set 4-6, but now were down 1-5 in the second. Sol had won the first easily but now was down 2-5 in the second. These final matches made me very proud however.

Jesse turned off the voices in his head and played confident tennis. He turned his 1-4 deficit into a tight second set, getting to 4-5. At 4-5 he had some openings to get the match back to 5-5, but couldn't convert. Central finished it at 6-4 in the second set, but Jesse fought back and didn't give up. And speaking of not giving up, #2D found their game before it was too late. They came back from 1-5 between great net and baseline play, behind confident play, and tied the match at 5-5. Despite their comeback, the Blazers regrouped and won the set. Still, I can't say how proud it made me to watch #2D not throw in the towel, but instead return to how they wanted to play.

Speaking of playing how he wanted to, Sol had gut check time. He entered a third set with the knowledge that it all came down to him. And went down 2-0 to a free swinging competitor in Curtis Hill (who also played a great match under pressure). Despite this, Sol just played every point. Focusing on how he was playing, he got 3 games in a row to take the 3-2 lead. It went back and forth on serve until Sol led 5-4. With great aggression, he built himself an advantage. Twice Curtis Hill denied Sol's match points but Sol stayed aggressive in the deuces and never let Hill get an advantage. In the end, Hill unfortunately double-faulted for Sol to win the match.

It was a fun varsity match. It was intense. It had nerves. I was proud of how we pushed through! Now onto the letters...

Dear Team,
That was the best victory of the season. We played aggressive, we played well, we kept our nerve under pressure, we fought back when we were down, and we even learned and grew in the middle of our matches. I was really proud of the attitude that I saw from the whole team.

I was talking to several of the parents during Sol's final match, who were saying how intense this was, coming down to the last match on the courts. What I told them was that win or lose, 5 years from now Sol will look back at this match and remember how awesome it was. Especially if he plays how he wants to play. These are the types of matches that we play for, because they are so much fun.

And so I was feeling very conflicted at the end of Sol's match. I was very intense, because I'm a competitor and want to win. But underneath that I was very relaxed. I had already gotten out of the night what I wanted to see from it - our good attitude, our fight, and growth. It was fun, it enabled me to smile and stand back and take in the beauty of that last match. All of you guys there watching, all of their team watching, two #3S players pounding the ball back and forth(!).  It was such a high quality match. And I was actually happy.

The funny thing is that for as well as tonight went, for as much as we grew and learned and performed under the pressure - we still didn't play our best. Up and down the line from JV to varsity, there were things to improve. And yet we fought through, didn't get down, relaxed and dealt with the point in front of us.

Good job team. What a fun match that was!

Dear Sol,
It's funny the way that God helps us grow. On Tuesday, at Blackhawk, I'm sure that you didn't want to play a tight second set. I'm sure you didn't want to get tied up at 5-5. But then you relaxed, pulled through, hit aggressive and won 8 points in a row.

How well that served you tonight. In the third set, you played the way you want to play. You looked pumped up, but at the same time you looked relaxed and focused on just the next point. As a result, you played some of the best tennis I've ever seen at #3 singles. Well stroked, well attacked, well executed. Remember this feeling. It was epic!

Dear Curtis Hill,
All that I just said about Sol, I could say about you. You were an awesome competitor, you kept your cool, and you played with aggression under pressure. You are the type of player I admire. I loved that you had so much positive self-talk going on in between points. You kept your composure and you attacked every point. I loved it. Thanks for an awesome match.

Dear Jesse, Ryan, and Ethan,
In matches against good teams, it's easy to get discouraged when things don't go our way. In your matches tonight, you all experienced things not going your way. But then you breathed deeply, cleared your thoughts, and came back. So often, the scores of close matches will read like this: 6-4, 6-0 or 7-6, 6-1. That's because when the first set and first games of the second are lost, the losing player becomes despondent and gives in. I was so proud of you for fighting your frustration, letting go of your fear, and getting back to your best tennis. Great job.

Dear Jacob,
Before your match, I told you that you were going to win. I confess, I knew nothing about your opponent. I had no idea if he'd be awesome or awful. Turned out he was pretty good. But what I do know is you, and you are awesome. Never forget that you are a great player. Let that motivate your play.

Dear Lane and Brandon,
These things happen. You won your first and then lost the second to a weaker team. Learn from Sol, Ryan, Jesse, Ethan and more tonight. When you get tight, remember what it feels like to play your best. Take a deep breath, then go play the next point. And the next point only. Then do it all over again. I love watching you play your best. Go to your next match and find your joy in your next point.

Dear God,
You are a God of wonder. And I realized this night that I need to stare into that even more. The sunset tonight was a gorgeous orange over the cornfields that are in the midst of harvest right now. That was wonderful. The apples are bright and green and red and ready to be snapped into, which was wonderful, driving past the orchards tonight. Your patience, love, and encouragements are seeping into the hearts of this team right now. Continue to let us know who we are, and where our joy comes from. We are Yours, marked and sealed in Your Holy Spirit, unconditional sons of the Father of wonder. Thank you.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Picking out a moment that made me smile, so I'll have to go with an ace from Hans. We don't have too many aces on our team. Despite being a good team, we don't have too many big serves. We have people who can force errors with their serves, but we haven't racked up very many clean aces.

In the #1D match, the first set was a close affair going back and forth a little bit. Hans and Simon broke serve to take a 5-3 lead and Hans began to serve for the set. The other team was trying to pump themselves up with some "Let's go's!" They won a point on the ad side and got real excited. Hans smiled, walked over to the deuce side, and fired an ace out wide past his opponent. That one good shot sung momentum back to the Bruin #1D. They closed out the set and then the match. One good shot is often all it takes.

Moment of Savage Beauty
Undeniably, this point has to come from Sol's match. And there were a lot of good ones. So I'll pick my favorite. On a game point at 3-3, Sol approached the net with a ball to his opponent's backhand. His passing shot popped up toward Sol close to the net and Sol pounded an overhead down into the court for the winner. It had such savage pace on it that it bounced up over the fence, then over the barrier fence behind the court and over the railroad track that ran behind the court. In every tense moment, Sol just kept playing aggressive and right through. Well done!

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 1-6, 4-6 - Eric Burton (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-3, 6-1 - Andrew Salmon (10)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 - Curtis Hill (11)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-3, 6-0 - Scott Hanberg (12)/Will Riblet (12)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Ethan Lapp - 4-6, 5-7 - Adam DeShone (11)/Christian Lankford (11)

Junior Varisty
#1SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 8-4 - Matt Stutzman (11)
#2SJV - Jackson King - 2-8 - Ben Weaver (12)
#3SJV - Joel Yoder - 1-8 - Riley Norris (11)
#4SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 6-2 - Josh Santos (11)
#5SJV - Jackson King - 6-4 - Keith Hartzler (10)
#6SJV - Joel Yoder - 2-6 - Michael Wyse (9)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-4 - Alex Boyer (11)/Ben Oakley (11)
#2DJV - Dustin Miller/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 3-8 - Langston Johnson (11)/Gabe Lindholm (11)
#3DJV - Daniel Robles/Jonathan Yousey - 8-3
#4DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 3-6 - Jacob Stout (10)/Adam Moom (9)
#5DJV - Dustin Miller/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-0 - Jared Reid (9)/Bryce Daub (9)
#6DJV - Daniel Robles/Jonathan Yousey - 6-3 - Manny Sanchez (11)/???

Letters from Westview

Dear Team,
Again we played a good match. We played right to potential at almost every position. It was a fun night to watch as well, as we overheaded balls into the woods and ran our opponents into the small fences. We also had sweet comebacks and dominant victories as well as pulling out some close ones.

In general, there was an atmosphere of going about our business. It was a dreary day, we took the courts with concentration and got ourselves going early. Byeong, Sol, and #1D were never seriously challenged, and so we didn't hear as many "C'mons!" and "Let's go's!" I look forward to those more in the future matches.

The most intense matches were probably Lane's at #1SJV and #2D. Ryan and Ethan took the first set without much drama, but then fell down 1-4 in the second. Suddenly they stopped pushing the ball and became aggressive at the net, and the 1-4 hole turned into a 6-4 second set win. And Lane was playing a powerful opponent at #1SJV, which was one of Lane's first singles matches this year. Still he stroked his way to a beautiful victory.

Despite a couple of those victories, we took care of things and now we turn to practice. As we turn to practice, let me challenge all of you like I challenged Lane and Brandon yesterday. As you imagine yourselves playing, as you imagine practice, as you think on upcoming matches - let your thought of how you play go from playing good to playing elite. Imagine what it would look like to play elite tennis this season. Now let's pursue that.

Dear Lane + Your Sophomore Fans,
As we got to the end of the match, I looked around and thought, "Where is everybody?" I was watching Jesse finish up his match and I couldn't find like 7-8 of our players. Then I looked down to the end of the long line of courts, and there they all were, gathered on the bleachers, watching Lane play toward the finish line. It was a close match, and you, Lane, were leading 7-6. And there were all your friends, cheering you on. The JV match was basically won. But they were there for you.

That's what can truly make your class a special one. You encourage each other on to even greater greatness :-)

Dear Hans and Simon,
That was a great win. It was simple. You anticipated well. Keep getting better together.

Dear Stephen Gierek,
I loved your passion. You team had already lost, but you were in a tough match. You seemed to focus on the process. When you'd make an error you would often say to yourself, "Swing through." My team has been talking about focal points, and that sounded like it was yours. When you won the match, you dropped your racket and did a double fist pump. I could tell that you had passion. I liked it. We all show our passion in different ways, and it looked like you were showing yours in your own way last night.

Dear Jesse,
You didn't have your best night last night. But I say that not based on the score, but based on the fact that you missed some of your bread and butter shots. That's okay. Really, that's okay. The other night when Sol presented the devotional about humility, we talked about giving ourselves permission to miss. That also means we have to give ourselves permission to have an off day. The key is reminding yourself what it looks like to play good and pursuing that the next time with confidence. Next time out, intensely pursue your best!

Moment of Sheer Beauty
Hans and Simon at #1D are a mix of power and precision. So much of the time we reward power, but the best point of the entire match today came as a result of Hans precision. Swept out wide in a long rally, Hans hit an angled ball short to the forehand side. Opponent Jeryl Weaver chased it down and topspinned an even better ball forcing Hans almost into Byeong's #2S court. Hans then hit a flat ball back across the court, landing near the sideline but at an extreme angle. Weaver sprinted forward and wide forward, racket out in front of him to scoop the ball. But he collided with the side fence first as the ball arrived. His precise and controlled ball ended up being the most aggressive and winning play!

Moment of Savage Beauty
Daniel's whole style of play could be described as scrambling. He never gives up on a ball. Tonight, playing with Joel, he ran down so many different shots that slipped over Joel's head when Joel was at the net. But the best shots of the night were when Daniel got to the net. Using his scrambling ability, he scamper across the net and slam the volleys or overheads away. It wasn't just one beautiful point, it was again and again. Unfortunately, the #3DJV night didn't end up in victory. But that made me want to give this award to Daniel even more. We shouldn't judge our matches based on result, but instead ask the question: Did we play how we wanted to? On this night, Daniel the scrambler did, and he turned it into savage power.

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 4-6, 2-6 - Stephen Gierek (12)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-1, 6-0 - Zack Schrock (11)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-1, 6-1 - Trey Zabona (10)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-2, 6-2 - Andrew Yoder (11)/Jeryl Weaver (10)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Landon Weldy - 6-2, 6-4 - Taylor Eash (12)/Austin Hostetler (9)

Junior Varsity 
#1SJV - Lane Miller - 8-6 - Alex Stutzman (11)
#2SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 8-2 - Rafael Flores (10)
#3SJV - Jackson King - 6-1
#4SJV - Jonathan Yousey - 6-3
#1DJV - Landon Weldy/Brandon Nguyen - 8-3 - Benson Stoltzfus (11)/Ryan Barker (9)
#2DJV - Dustin Miller/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 8-2 - Chris Junik (11)/Braydon Avery (9)
#3DJV - Daniel Robles/Joel Yoder - 6-7 (4)

Letters from Northridge

Dear Team,
Congratulations on another good night of tennis. From the moment this match started, I felt good about it. We've been emphasizing the importance of starting a match with intensity, and tonight I felt like we were focused and intense from the beginning. At every position we took early leads, I believe we led either 4-1 or 5-2 in every first set, and we were able to finish off those sets without too much drama. Then we were able to carry that momentum into the second set in every position except #2 doubles (who just figured they would rather play longer on a beautiful night rather than sit and watch :-)

On the JV level, Northridge had one of the most talented teams we've played. They have a very talented freshman class and a few others who round out their team. But we met that level well in our matches. I was also glad to actually get some time to coach you guys, I felt like many of you responded well to our little tweaks. The JV match actually came down to the freshman, when they were on the court we had to have one of them win in order to seal our 9th JV win. So what happened? Of course, 2 of the 3 won! It was encouraging to see us getting better and playing this well against a solid opponent.

What we need, all the way through the team now, is consistency. Tonight's match felt remarkably similar to Triton on Saturday. These have been matches where we've come out focused on how we want to play. That has to continue to be our trademark throughout the rest of this season. And then truly, we'll get even better if along with that consistent mindset we become more consistent in our play. Errors are still what makes us lose points. The more we are able to smaggressively keep the ball in play, the more we'll play exactly like we want to.

Dear Ryan,
You're really understanding what it means to play under pressure. It was a beautiful thing tonight to watch you in the close out game on your serve. Up 5-3, you relaxed. No double faults. Two big net winners, including one of the craziest points of the night that you ended with a scissor kick overhead. But even more impressive I think was match point. Up 40-30, you decided to serve and volley. When the return came back at about shoulder height, you popped a volley down the line, straight at their onrushing player for a quick winner to end any suspense. That ease led to beautiful play tonight, and a wonderful end to your match.

Dear Northridge,
Thank you for your incredible competiveness. I know that you were without your normal #1 singles player tonight. That makes a huge difference in the match. Many of you played positions that you normally had not. However, you competed and did yourselves proud. You are also a team with few seniors, so a team that we won't necessarily be looking forward to facing in the coming years.

Dear Jacob,
I was so proud of you last night. I think you have to understand how excellent the end of your match was, and why it is so encouraging moving forward. At the beginning of the year, we talked about the Triangle that it takes to win a match - Mental game, strategy, and technique. When I got down to your court you were down 1-4, and by the time I had a chance to talk to you, you were down 1-6. You could have thrown in the towel mentally, but you didn't. You believed you could play better. And so you were working on the mental part of the Triangle. Then, I gave you a strategical instruction to just pretend that you were playing Five Errors. You listened and executed that strategy. And suddenly, you won 3 out of the next 4 games! You did an excellent job turning it around. And now, you have an excellent starting place for the coming matches. You have that last part of your match to recall, focusing on how you played.

Dear Bryce,
It stinks that you can't play, but you are a helpful assistant coach. Every one of your remarks last night were right on. Either things that I had also noticed too or great observations that helped within our matches. Your notes about scores and points were great also. I love having someone to help me keep an eye on things, because even though I pretend that I know everything that is going on in a match, there's often a good bit that I miss. Thanks for your help!

Dear Simon,
Last night you picked up your 6th varsity win of the season, 5 at #1D. That is awesome! Your winning percentage this year is 75%. That would put you 6th on the all time winning percentage charts! When you walk onto the court, walk out with confidence knowing that you always belong there and are just as good as any player you might see on the other side of the net. You know how I know this? Because you've put the work in. In the off-season, in the summer, after practice. Take confidence in how you've prepared and how that has turned out. You are awesome!

Dear Brandon and Lane,
Speaking of awesome... it is so much fun to watch you play together. I want to challenge you guys to something in the rest of the practice season and then into the offseason. You are already really good, I want you to become ELITE. In other words, don't aspire to be good doubles players next varsity season. Instead, aspire to play so much, play so hard, get so much better that next season you will be the best doubles team. You have the strengths and talents. Just keep getting better and better.

Dear God,
I've been reminded recently to love You with all my heart and all my soul and all my strength. That is simply my prayer for the team right now. May we love You with our hearts and our souls and our strengths. Let us think and act on these best things that You've created in us. Let us give our best back to You. Thank You for what You teach us, and let us continue to think about things that are good and true - about humility, passion, servanthood, unity and thankfulness.

Moment of Sheer Beauty
The thing that is the most beautiful to me is when my players are playing to their best abilities in exactly the way they enjoy. I saw that so many places tonight, in Jacob's comeback, in Sol's game clinching point, in Daniel and Jackson's doubles. But the place that stood out to me was Dustin Miller's victory. Dustin's strength is his forehand, and his perfect game dictating the points by using that. In his match tonight, we found that he could break down his opponent by moving him around and then using his forehand to get to his opponent's backhand. We needed Dustin to win his match to seal the JV win and he kept using his perfect strategy, playing how he wanted to play, and winning point after point. At deuce in his final game, he dipped his forehand low over the net to his opponent's backhand which got clipped weakly into the net. He set up a pressure filled match point by aggressively playing his way. It was beautiful. Under the pressure, his opponent unfortunately double faulted. But Dustin had set up that pressure with his earlier play. Way to go!

Moment of Savage Beauty
Many will be nominated, but only one person ever seems to win. Ryan Duckworth, your point today to put #2Ds up 30-0 in your final game (the scissor overhead) was cool. But the point earlier in the match where you ran a volley down behind Landon and put up a lob then chased down the subsequent overhead in the forehand corner of the court, then approached with a ball at your opponent and then finished with an overhead through him... well, that's the definition of playing awesome! That was the perfect picture of move your feet (chasing down everything), relaxing (you still went for the power shot), and having fun. Way to live out your focal point!

SCORES

Varsity
#1S - Jesse Amstutz - 6-3, 6-0 - Simon Grevengoed (9)
#2S - Byeong Min Lim - 6-2, 6-0 - Sam Hoover (12)
#3S - Sol Brenneman - 6-2, 6-1 - Luke Wogoman (10)
#1D - Hans Miller/Simon Hurst - 6-2, 6-3 - Austen Schmidt (11)/Ted Field (12)
#2D - Ryan Duckworth/Landon Weldy - 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 - James Dugle (10)/Aadarsh Patel (11)

Junior Varsity
#1SJV - Ethan Lapp - 8-4 - Logan Corns (9)
#2SJV - Jacob Gonsalves - 4-8 - Alex Gingerich (9)
#3SJV - Dustin Miller - 8-3 - Aman Patel (10)
#4SJV - Joel Yoder - 0-6 - Logan Corns (9)
#1DJV - Lane Miller/Brandon Nguyen - 8-3 - Austin Melvin (11)/Jate Cross (11)
#2DJV - Jackson King/Daniel Robles - 8-3 - Eric Firstenburger (9)/Isaiah Zuercher (9)
#3DJV - Jonathan Yousey/Lucas Brownsberger-Keyes - 6-3 - Eric Firstenburger (9)/Isaiah Zuercher (9)

Letters, August 11

Dear Lane Miller,
We've been discussing lots of wonderful things during our devotional time, but the biggest of which is that we need to use our God-given gifts to give to others. It's only in this obedience that we truly experience joy. Well, I was so grateful for your Facebook post this weekend. Being encouraging and yet still challenging is an important skill, and I think you managed it well. You are a true asset to the team when you look out for your other brothers. Don't limit that just to us tennis brothers. Let that flow out of your whole life.

Dear Weather,
Thanks for giving us a reprieve so far this year. We've only had parts of practices rained out, we've never missed the whole thing. Truth is, yesterday I was 100% sure we wouldn't have practice, then the sun came out and dried everything up. I looked out my window in amazement when it was practice time. It's moments like those where it is easy to remember that "Every breath in is gratitude."

Dear Hans Miller,
You've had a great start to the tennis season. You've established yourself as an excellent doubles player and have even pushed some of our singles players. You've worked hard in practice and continued to improve your skills (including your second serve). Now you've become my teaching assistant and I can't wait to get to work. Let's talk tennis, let's study tennis . . . but let's continue to move towards God. The Spirit of God has gifted you with the fruit of joy, it flows out of you. Let that joy spread all across the team. I love that you watched the Bryan Brothers video about doubles strategy and the thing that stood out to you was to be exceedingly positive to your partner. That's so you! Bring that positive outlook! Bring the joy! Bring it!

Dear Students in My 9th Period Class,
I'm sorry if I get distracted and look out the window a lot. Yesterday I was worried about rain, sometimes I'm worried about matches. I need to let go of the worry and the constant thoughts of control that ping about my head during tennis season. I'm working on living more in each moment, in each breath. God will get me there. But I wasn't there yesterday. Sorry.

Dear God,
That's really the truth. I need You to make me aware of how close You are in every moment. As close as my next breath. That's a calming truth that I pray will grab the heart and imagination of our team this year. May we rejoice in You always.

Lane Miller

2016
#1D - Northridge - Luke Wogoman (12)/Eric Firstenberger (11) - 4-6, 5-7
#2D - Goshen - Bobby Sessa (12)/Drake Crowder (10) - 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-6 (1)
#2D - Jimtown - Matt DeCloedt (12)/Bill Pawlak (9) - 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3
#2D - Concord - Jake Lovette (12)/Freddy Buckingham (10) - 4-6, 5-7
#1D - Fremont - Cole Thomas (11)/Quest Crotty (10) - 6-0, 6-3
#2D - Western - Ashton Guyer (11)/Mason Anderson (11) - 4-6, 5-7
#2D - Mishawaka Marian - Michael Duranek (12)/Kenny Klimek (12) - 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
#3S - Prairie Heights - 4-1
#2D - Triton - Grant Eib/Tyler Heckaman - 6-3, 6-0
#2D - Westview - Peyton Schrock (10)/Ryan Miller (10) - 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 6-2
#2D - NorthWood - Trevor Klotz (11)/Jack Wysong (9) - 6-3, 6-4
#2D - Blackhawk Christian - Levi Mossburg (11)/Logan Foote (11) - 6-0, 6-0
#2D - Elkhart Central - Dane Frieden (10)/Adam Moon (11) - 3-6, 4-6
#2D - Merrillville - ??? / ??? - 6-3, 6-3
#2D - Highland - Harrison Bronisz/Fred Kepler - 4-6, 6-2, (8-10)
#2D - Centerville - Nathan Cheek/Bennet Walther - 5-7, 6-2, (8-10)
#2D - Fairfield - Joel Knopf (12)/Aaron Streit (10) - 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
#2D - Rochester - Chase Brown (11)/Carlton Mullet (12) - 6-0, 6-3
#2D - Taylor - Quentin Inman (10)/B.J. Pemberton (10) - 6-1, 6-1
#2D - Wabash - Matt Stein (11)/Ayden Kochar (11) - 6-1, 6-0
#2D - Eastern - Matt Harrison (9)/Caleb Newhouse (10) - 6-2, 6-1
#2D - Goshen - Nathaniel Wertz (12)/Diego Torres (10) - 7-6 (3), 6-1

2015

11-11 (Varsity)
#2D - Jimtown - Isaac Pope (12)/Michael Gray (10) - 2-6, 2-6
#2D - Northridge - Alex Gingerich (10)/Eric Firstenberger (10) - 3-6, 3-6
#2D - Goshen - Jacob Grewe (11)/Hugh Birky (11) - 6-4, 2-6, 2-6
#1D - Laville - Brandon Haisley (12)/Erik Eggebrecht (12) - 6-1, 6-1
#2D - Concord - Braden Fish (11)/Jake Lovette (11) - 4-6, 7-5, 5-7
#1D - Fremont - Jeremy Seiler (12)/Wade Regedanz (11) - 7-6 (2), 6-2
#2D - Western - Kolten Gifford (11)/Tate Lockwood (10) - 4-6, 6-1, (10-5)
#2D - Northwestern - No Names Reported - 6-1, 6-2
#2D - Lafayette Central Catholic - Luke Seimers/Jonah Switzer - 4-6, 1-6
#2D - Mishawaka Marian - Evan Korath (11)/Kenny Klimek (11) - 6-2, 6-0
#2D - Triton - Brenden Damron (12)/Chase Butler (9) - 6-2, 6-0
#2D - Westview - Alex Stutzman (12)/Benson Stoltzfus (12) - 7-5, 6-2
#2D - Blackhawk Christian - Graham Gnagy (10)/Spencer Lee (12) - 7-5, 6-3
#2D - Elkhart Central - Christian Lankford (12)/Curtis Hill (12) - 3-6, 4-6
#2D - Wawasee - Evan Krueger/Chase Jones - 6-3, 7-6 (5)
#2D - Highland - Nick Swetz/Christian Vasquez - 4-6, 2-6
#2D - Centerville - Nathan Cheek/Bennett Walther - 3-6, 3-6
#2D - Fairfield - Aaron Miller (12)/Aaron Skibbe (11) - 6-7 (6), 6-7 (6)
#2D - Taylor - Payton Tracy-Wynn Takacs - 6-7 (5), 2-6
#2D - Wabash - Matt Stein/Austin Black - 7-6 (3), 6-3
#2D - Eastern - Braden Evans/Trey Thomas - 6-1, 6-1
#2D - Goshen - Giovanni Aguayo (12)/Jacob Grewe (11) - 1-6, 1-6
2014

20-2 (JV and Overall)
#2DJV - Jimtown - Jesse Oakley (12)/Conner Corl (9) - 8-3
#2DJV - Goshen - Giovanni Aguayo (11)/Corbin Harrison (11) - 8-6
#5DJV - Goshen - Unknown / Unknown - 8-1
#2DJV - Concord - Kell McGee (11)/Broc Johnson (9) - 8-1
#2DJV - Fremont - Kyle Boekhout (12)/Jayce Colclasure (10) - 8-2
#1DJV - West Noble - Tyler Clouse (12)/Marcus Weimer (9) - 8-3
#1DJV - Concord - 8-3
#1DJV - NorthWood - 8-4
#1DJV - Jimtown - 8-6
#1DJV - Triton - Bruno DeSouza (12)/Dalton Bailey (11) - 8-2
#1DJV - Northridge - Austin Melvin (11)/Jate Cross (11) - 8-3
#1SJV - Westview - Alex Stutzman (11) - 8-6
#1DJV - NorthWood - Brock Beehler (11)/Spencer Abel (12) - 8-6
#4DJV - NorthWood - Trevor Klotz (9)/Matt Checkley (10) - 8-0
#1DJV - Blackhawk Christian - Sam Mossburg (9)/Levi Mossburg (10) - 8-1
#1DJV - Elkhart Central - Alex Boyer (11)/Ben Oakley (11) - 8-4
#4DJV - Elkhart Central - Jacob Stout (10)/Adam Moon (9) - 3-6
#1DJV - Fort Wayne Snider - W
#1DJV - Angola - L
#1DJV - Fremont - W
#1DJV - Fairfield - Joel Kropf (10)/Aaron Skibbe (10) - 8-3
#1DJV - Bremen - Josh Ukinski (11)/Bryce Tolle (9) - 8-4

2013

11-5 (JV), 2-0 (Varsity) = 13-5 (Overall)
#3DJV - Jimtown - Jesse Oakley (11)/Matt DeCloert (9) - 7-8 (2)
#2DJV - Northridge - Nick Kieper (9)/Luke Wogoman (9) - 9-7
#3DJV - Goshen - Evan Krabill (9)/Oscar Peterson-Veatch (9) - 8-0
#4DJV - Concord - Kell McGee (9)/Tate Nicoson - 8-3
#3DJV - Fremont - Daniel Hart (10)/Jackson Cardosa (9) - 6-1
#2DJV - NorthWood - Austin Conrad/Riley Smith - 2-8
#3SJV - Jimtown - Alfedo Lima - 4-8
#2DJV - Concord - Alex Diaz/Jake Lovette - 8-0
#2DJV - Triton - Jared Stouder (12)/Dalton Bailey (10) - 6-1
#3DJV - Westview - 6-4
#1D - Laville - Brandon Haisley (10)/Dustin Royer (10) - 6-0, 6-1
#3DJV - NorthWood - Nate Nunemaker (10)/Brock Beehler (10) - 1-6
#2DJV - Angola - Win
#2DJV - DeKalb - Win
#2DJV - FW Leo - Win
#3DJV - Fairfield - Andrew Hoover (11)/Clayton Bender (9) - 2-6
#3S - Howe, 6-4, 6-2