For the first time in many years, a Beachwood tennis player is going to the Northeast Ohio District tournament.

‘“Landis Teren, our first singles player made it [to Districts]… which hasn’t happened in any of the four years I’ve been on the team,” Senior Max Rindsberg said.

Teren will compete  in the District tournament today at the Springside Athletic Club in Akron.

It is no surprise that Teren has been a standout this season. He is a tournament player who has earned a Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) of over seven. UTR is a ranking system for players to compare results and skill across the world. 

In many division three colleges, the top-ranked player of the school’s UTR ranges around a seven, which shows Teren is already well on his way to playing college-level tennis.

Because the sectional tournament is one of the most competitive in the state, it is rare to see Beachwood tennis players advancing to districts.

“Our sectionals might be harder than states,” Coach David Cole said. “It’s an absolute meat grinder.”

Nevertheless, Teren advanced from the sectional tournament held May 10-13 at Strongsville.

“[Last year] our first singles player… lost in a tiebreaker in the sectional quarterfinals,” Cole said. “If he had won that, he would have gone to states.”

Nevertheless, Cole expressed great optimism when speaking with the Beachcomber earlier this season.

“If we get out of the sectionals, we’ll get out of the district,” he said.

The team has had a phenomenal season, boasting an 11-6 record.  

They won all of the matches they expected to win, including Western Reserve Academy, Brecksville and Ursuline.

Defeating Ursuline was a major goal this season, and Beachwood prevailed, winning both doubles in the May 4 match, losing first and second singles. The overall winner was determined by third singles player Adam Ritzenberg, who sealed Beachwood’s victory by winning a close match in the third set.

The team placed third at the CVC tournament on May 8 at Hawken.

Despite suffering an injury and being forced to forfeit the match, Rindsberg placed third overall in his section in CVCs.

The team’s success can be attributed in part to Coach Cole’s work during the off-season, holding tennis clinics and hosting offseason clinics and practice. 

Even while working hard, the team has fun.

“I think I have a good relationship with the kids, [but] you might want to ask them,” Cole said.

 “I’d say we have a good relationship.. we make a lot of jokes,” Teren said.

Cole will return as the girls tennis coach in the fall. 

“I’m looking forward to coaching.. the girls season,” he said. 

“As soon as the boys season ends, we are going to get the girls out playing” and next season the girls are going “”to hit a lot more tennis balls than they did this season.”