Kirt Manion, CherryRoad Media
The Nebraska City boys’ tennis team recently wrapped up another fantastic season on the court with medal recognition at the state tennis championships.
Nebraska City has had players in medal contention in four of the past five years beginning with twin Pioneers Logan and Langston Hoover.
This year’s Pioneer team was headlined by the medal winning combo of Connor Causgrove and Anthony Robinson.
Coach Jason McNeely said a change in the NSAA rules has helped to spur on the Pioneers since the medal standards were changed five years ago to allow for eight medals instead of the previous four.
“That change really helped out a small school like us because it gives us something a little more realistic to shoot for,” McNeely said.
In looking back at the 2022 season, Coach McNeely said the Pioneers squad competed better in duals over tournaments.
Connor and Anthony teamed at No.1 doubles, which concentrated Pioneer power. Had the two players played singles in tournaments, Nebraska City would have scored more points.
Placing Connor and Anthony at the top of the tournament card was a move made after deliberations and experimentation determined that was the best move.
“This season was a little different because it took so long to settle on a tournament lineup and when we are switching guys around and asking them to play different spots it can cause some unease for everyone,” Mc-Neely said.
Connor and Anthony wound up grabbing the sixthplace medal at state and set records along the way. The pair broke the season record for doubles wins at 22. That record was set by Caleb Poggemeyer and Connor Causgrove last season.
Causgrove and Robinson join Poggemeyer and Justin McElroy for most doubles wins in a season by an individual.
Connor broke the most combined wins (singles and doubles) for a season at 33. Clay Stovall had the previous record, set in 2020.
And Connor broke the record for combined wins (singles and doubles) in a career at 84. That record was previously held by Jon Holtz (1997-00).
Coach McNeely jokingly said that the Pioneers’ success has been costly.
“I think the new tradition might have to be if you break a record you have to pay for the new record board, because I just had one made this season to hang on our tennis shed,” joked McNeely.