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For the second year in row, top-ranked Carmel bested rival North Central in the final match of the season and claimed its third consecutive IHSAA state championship in boys tennis.

The 4-1 Carmel victory was the school’s eighth championship overall in the sport and fifth under head coach Mike Bostic.

The Greyhounds (21-1) wasted no time in winning at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles and Patrick Farrell’s 6-2, 6-3 victory over North Central’s Rudy Frazier at No. 3 singles, 6-2, 6-3 proved the title clincher.

Sameer Kumar at No. 1 singles and Charlie Emhardt and Dan Rodefeld at No. 1 doubles were responsible for the first two Carmel points of the match. Kumar defeated Riley Reist, 6-1, 6-0, and Emhardt and Rodefeld topped Patrick McAuley and William Reifeis, 6-0, 6-3.

Jeffrey Chen and Michael Makio closed out the dual with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory at No. 2 doubles over North Central’s Ari Gerstein and J.T. Wayne.

Fourth-ranked North Central (21-2), coached by Dan Brunette, earned its lone point of the match courtesy of J.J. Kroot’s 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles over Chris Quammen.

North Central had topped Carmel, 3-2, back on Aug. 30, the Greyhounds’ lone loss of the season.

Carmel had earned its way to the final match with a 4-1 win on Friday over No. 7 Center Grove and another 4-1 triumph over No. 10 Bloomington South during Saturday’s semifinals. North Central turned away third-ranked Fort Wayne Canterbury, 5-0, on Friday, and beat second-ranked Park Tudor, 3-2 in the other semifinal.

Bloomington South’s Ronnie Schneider Wins Mental Attitude Award
Ronnie Schneider of Bloomington High School South was selected as the winner of this year’s Mental Attitude Award in Boys Tennis by the IHSAA Executive Committee.

Schneider helped his squad to a state finals appearance before falling in Saturday’s semifinal round to eventual champion Carmel. Schneider, still undefeated on the year, will defend his singles championship at next weekend’s individual state finals.

The son of Ron and Anita Schneider of Bloomington, Ronnie will attend the University of North Carolina on a tennis scholarship beginning next fall.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA corporate partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Bloomington High School South in the name of Schneider.