It was a good run for a young Miners boys tennis squad this season, but it came to a close May 10. That day, the majority of the Park City teams at the state tournament fell in round of 16 play, including one singles player Chad Johnson, two singles player Adam Rose, one doubles pair Charlie Ginster and Scotty Morris. Two doubles pair Nate Hadar and Ethan Bailey were eliminated May 9 in the first round, and the Miners failed to qualify a third singles player.
Johnson lost 6-3, 6-0 to Gavin Bishop of Dixie, Rose 7-5, 6-3 to Nate Wamsley of Snow Canyon, Ginster and Morris 6-4, 6-1 to William Gardner and Tyson Wilkins of Desert Hills and Hadar and Bailey 6-3, 6-4 to Dylan Baxter and Ian Olson of Green Canyon.
The matches Park City won over the two days at state were good enough for a six-way tie for 14th in the final team standings. Desert Hills walked away with the state title, totaling 45 points across the three days of action.
“Everyone played well at state,” said Miners head coach Justin DeLong. “We could have had a few positions move on to the third round with just a little more intensity and execution at key moments in the matches.”
DeLong’s best shot at some more match wins was at the one singles slot with freshman Chad Johnson, who had hoped to make the semifinals of his bracket. Johnson and his twin brother Chase will be back next season, where Chad hopes to capture an individual state title before he graduates in 2027.
DeLong knows how big an advantage the southern Utah schools like Desert Hills and Crimson Cliffs had, and those teams finished three points behind in second place as a team. They were able to practice and play outside year round. DeLong joked, “they don’t have northern Utah skiing.”
“It’s really exciting going into next year knowing that we get almost everyone back and a strong freshman class coming in,” said Delong. “The team should make it a goal to win our region next year, and the work begins now. Our boys know that they need to be busy working this summer if they want to achieve their goals.”
Park City will return 12 of 13 varsity players in their program, with Hadar being the only senior moving on. The program struggled to get participation, something the incoming classes should change.
The Miners 2025 campaign will likely begin in mid-March and inside the MARC, where the team typically plays home matches. The MARC’s court bubble was destroyed March 1, sending Park City packing to the Sports Mall in Salt Lake City, where DeLong also works as a teaching professional.