SHORELINE — Jonathan Tat gained some valuable experience playing in last spring’s Class 3A state doubles championships.
The Shorecrest sophomore is hoping to make it back to state, only the next time as a singles entrant.
Tat moves up to No. 1 singles for a Shorecrest boys tennis team that’s looking to climb a few rungs in the Western Conference 4A South Division.
Last season, the Scots tied Everett for fifth. Three of their nine losses were 4-3 and could have gone either way.
“I think we’re going to do a little better,” Tat said. “Our team’s really strong this year. We’ve got a lot of experienced players.”
Tat compiled a 12-2 record at No. 2 singles as a freshman and teamed with senior Max Wadum for a second-place finish at the Northwest District 3A doubles tournament.
The duo went 2-2 at state, winning a pair of three-setters before getting knocked out in the consolation semifinals.
“It was fun for him,” Shorecrest coach Jeff Allen said of Tat’s trip to state. “He’s excited to do that another time or two.”
The Scots graduated just two varsity players and return sophomore Kevin Jacobsen and seniors Chad Frisk and Robert Hildebrand at the top of their singles ladder.
“Our biggest strength is going to be depth and consistency,” Allen said. “We really don’t have a lot of variation with our (No.) 2 through 10 or 12.
“Jonathan’s been playing real well at (No.) 1 and the rest of the kids, any given day, can play with each other. We’re very competitive and we hope that pays off in matches.”
With graduation claiming several of the league’s top singles players, Tat expects he’ll run up against some of the same opponents he faced at No. 2 last year.
To prepare for the season, Tat spent the summer polishing his game at a club in Kent.
“There’s always something to improve on, your forehand, your backhand,” he said. “I’ve been trying to (improve) my volleys and my singles strategy.”
Overall improvement between now and November is also a team goal the Scots have adopted.
“The main thing we want to do is be better at the end of the season than we are now,” Allen said. “Beyond that, I expect to be in the top half of the league. We’ll have to play consistently to do that.”
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