Introducing the Herald-Tribune 2024 All-Area Boys Tennis Team
At the end of each season, The Herald-Tribune selects All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every sport. Coaches from Sarasota and Manatee County schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with The Herald-Tribune's research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
FIRST TEAM
Simon Ayer
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Highlights: Finished with an overall record of 19-10. At No. 4 singles, defeated Riverview's Bennett Stencik for the district title. Teamed with Joseph Calleja at No. 2 doubles to defeat Riverview's Garen Naidon and Bennett Stencik for district title.
Grant Burroughs
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Highlights: Finished with an overall record of 13-14. At No. 2 singles, defeated Sarasota's Cade Ryan for the district title. Teamed with Ariston Spanos at No. 1 doubles to defeat Lakewood Ranch's Serkan Eren and Duke Pullam for the district title.
Joseph Calleja
School: Venice
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Finished with an overall record of 24-7. At No. 3 singles, defeated Sarasota's Jack Scarlett for the district title. Teamed with Simon Ayer at No. 2 doubles to defeat Riverview's Garen Naidoo and Bennett Stencik for the district title.
Benecio Claudino
School: Braden River
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Finished with an overall record of 16-4, 8-3 as the Pirates' No. 1 player. Teamed with Grant Hicks at No. 1 doubles, finished with a 7-1 mark.
Ariston Spanos
School: Venice
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Finished with an overall record of 22-7, 6-3 as Venice's No. 1 player. At No. 1 singles, defeated Sarasota's William Blagdon in the district final. Teamed with Grant Burroughs at No. 1 doubles, defeated Blagdon and Cade Ryan in the district final.
Prithvi Sudhakar
School: Out-of-Door Academy
Year: Junior
Highlights: Finished with an overall record of 9-5. At Class 1A district finals, defeated Tomas Martins of Saint Stephen's. Teamed with Cash Murphy at No. 1 doubles, lost to Martins and Ricardo Perazzolo in district final. At 1A state meet final, defeated Samuel Uribe of Doral for individual championship.
SECOND TEAM
William Blagden, Sarasota
Logan Earley, North Port
Hayden Guthrie, Venice
Grant Hicks, Braden River
Tomas Martins, Saint Stephen's Episcopal
Cade Ryan, Sarasota
HONORABLE MENTION
Andrei Black, Saint Stephen's Episcopal
Garen Naidoo, Riverview
Bennett Stencik, Riverview
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kieran Killigrew
School: Out-of-Door Academy
Highlights: Led team to a 12-5 record. Finished second out of seven schools, three points behind Saint Stephen's, at the district championships. No. 1 player Prithvi Sudhakar won the 1A individual state championship.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Here is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune 2024 All-Area Boys Tennis Team
