Highlanders then split with Alameda, Castro Valley
Piedmont High School’s boys tennis team had a strong showing at the annual California Tennis Classic in Fresno the weekend of March 7-8.
First, the Highlanders defeated host school Clovis East, 4-2. Lucas Smolko defeated Hudson Lee at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-0. Will Tenney beat Dylan Velvick at No. 3, 7-6, 6-4. Nate Welch lost to Nathan Shelton at No. 2, 1-6, 7-5, 10-6.
In doubles, Kasper Jansson and Hunter Fasteau defeated Cole Peterson and Alex Trencio at No. 1, 7-5, 6-2. Ryan Ehtashami and Torsten Olsen downed Amos Ari and Andrew Werth at No. 3, 6-4, 2-6, 11-9 at No. 3. Clovis East’s Collin Syravonte and Jack Cook won the No. 2 match over Luca LaForte and Ben Davis, 6-3, 7-5.
Next, Piedmont faced St. Joseph-Orcutt. The teams tied at 3-3 with the Highlanders getting the win with more sets won, 7-6. Piedmont swept the singles with Smolko, Welch and Emilio Misra getting wins. The Knights took all three doubles matches.
Piedmont lost to Wilcox-Santa Clara next, 4-2. Smolko again won the No. 1 singles match while Jansson and Fasteau won at No. 2 doubles.
Finally, the Highlanders lost to Camarillo, 4-2. Smolko and Welch won at Nos. 1 and 2 singles.
On March 11, Piedmont lost at Castro Valley, 4-3. It was a tough day for the Highlanders. Smolko stayed home to rest, according to Highlanders coach Jim Landes. Then, Welch, playing No. 1, broke a tooth with his racket when it slipped out of his hand and had to default his match.
The overall match was tied 3-3 and came down to No. 2 doubles. The Trojans Arik Hoffman and Alex Chan outlasted Gianluca Bini and Ben Davis, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 to clinch it.
Jansson won at No. 4 singles over John Chan, 1-6, 6-3, 10-2. LaForte and Tenney defeated Liam Hogan and Jeff Buhler at No. 1 doubles, 6-1, 6-3. Olsen and Joey Assalian beat Ryan Mu and Maxim Boychuk at No. 3 doubles, 6-2, 6-2.
Castro Valley got wins at No. 2 singles (Guhan Anandkumar over King, 6-0, 6-2) and No. 3 singles (Advaith Sathyanand over Misra, 6-0, 6-0).
The scheduled March 12 match with College Prep was postponed to March 20 due to rain. On March 13, Piedmont defeated host Alameda, 5-2. Smolko defeated Colin Pero at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-1. King beat Julian Chea at No. 3, 7-5, 6-4. Alameda’s Eddie Luo downed Welch at No. 2, 6-2, 6-1 and the Hornets Branden Lee beat Tenney at No. 4, 7-5, 6-4.
The Highlanders swept the doubles. LaForte and Misra beat James Chea and Remi Banducci at No. 1, 7-6 (2), 6-3. Jansson and Fasteau defeated Kyle Banducci and Keenan Chav at No. 2, 6-2, 6-4. And Olsen and Assalian outlasted Luke Saum and Cayden Dang at No. 3, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7.
Piedmont was scheduled to host Berkeley on March 18 and travel to face Marin Catholic the next day.
Correction 3/18/25: “singles with Smolko, Welch and Emilio Misra getting wins;” “Smolko and Welch won at Nos. 1 and 2 singles;” and “Then, Welch, playing No. 1,” had misidentified Welch as King.