Sophomores Arie Tuckerman and Jack Madison, Suriya Sundaram’19 and Rhian Seneviratne’20. (Courtesy/Carrie Tuckerman)

On Friday, May 25, and Saturday, May 26, five Vikings competed in the state tennis tournament in Mason, Ohio.

Playing singles, senior Drew Haffer easily took his first match against sophomore Jackson Quinn of Chagrin Falls, 6-1, 7-6. He then fell in a tightly contested quarterfinal match against third-place winner Pierce Elliott of Preble Shawnee. Haffer concluded a great tennis career with a second-team All-Ohio honoring. 

Academy was also represented by two doubles teams: the pairing of Suriya Sundaram’19 and Rhian Seneviratne’20 and sophomore cousins Arie Tuckerman and Jack Madison. Both teams blazed their way to the state final, with neither dropping a set. This led to an incredible, hard-fought all-Academy state final in the blazing heat. Sundaram and Seneviratne ultimately prevailed, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(7-0). Sundaram finished his stellar, 4-year career with a much-deserved state title.

Sundaram, who is playing collegiate tennis at UC Santa Cruz, and Haffer will be sorely missed next year, but a squad led by Madison, Seneviratne, Tuckerman, Ryan Wahl’20, and Ryan Panley’22 will be sure to make some noise next year.