Bernstine and Peskin prepare for last states run

ROBBY FLETCHER Sports Editor

Goochland’s top two tennis players will be hitting the courts for the last time in Bulldogs red this weekend.

Graduates Evan Bernstine and Alex Peskin have shared the court together as Goochland’s top doubles duo for the past two seasons and after winning the region title together last year and making it to the state semifinals, they squashed the competition this time around with two shutouts to capture the Class 3, Region B title again and earn a trip to Virginia Tech for one last shot at a state title.

It marked one part of an overall successful regional run for the team as a whole, with the Bulldogs taking runner-up honors in the team bracket and Bernstine winning his third consecutive region title in singles.

Peskin credits the team’s tight-knit camaraderie and a handful of underclassmen stepping up at the right time for the team’s overall success late in the season.

“We have a really close group of guys this year. We have five seniors, and we’re all super close,” Peskin said. “We’ve been playing together all four years along with a lot of young guys who just have a lot of energy and have added to the team atmosphere.”

Entering the last leg of the season, Bernstine now has a chance at pulling off something remarkable at states. If he wins the singles tournament, it’ll be his third consecutive year achieving the feat, while also giving him a chance to take a doubles title alongside Peskin for what would be a perfect send-off for the nationally-ranked ten- nis star.

While there’s understandably going to be pressure surrounding the threepeat, especially from those vying for a state tournament of their own, Bernstine’s not placing too much stress on himself to win another state title. In fact, he has yet to look into the opponents standing between him and another singles title, although he is prepared for a rematch against Monticello’s doubles duo of Luca Bonfigli and Jonathan Belmares.

“I’m just going to go out there and have fun,” Bernstine said. “If I win, great, if I lose then I had a good run.”

Bernstine has placed a focus over the past few seasons on controlling his breathing and placing himself in a stress-free mindset when he’s on the court, and while those nerves can occasionally rise up, he says as long as he gives full effort, he can walk away proud of the accomplishments he has.

“I’ll feel the pressure pretty often actually when I think about it, but my breathing and being present on the court helps me because you have to be in the moment rather than thinking about the what-ifs and that’s something that I’m ready to do because I’ve been doing it for so long,” he said. stuff like that,” he said.

Bernstine plans to still play the game that’s been a part of his life for so long, but says it’ll be in more relaxed scenerios with friends or his brothers. For someone that’s been on the competitive circuit for so long, what might surprise many about Bernstine is how easy it is to turn off that competitive switch and just play for the love of the game, a mindset he says actually results in his best tennis.

As for Peskin, he also sees this as the last chapter in his days of competitive tennis. After getting a taste of the state tournament atmosphere last year, he’s excited that he can end his time with the team next to Bernstine with one last chance to win a title together, but like his teammate, he’s ready to play the game in a more casual setting when he heads to the University of Virginia next fall.

“I think sports are a great way to get immersed in a college where you don’t know many people, but I think this is my last year taking it to a competitive level and really grinding out for those wins,” he said.

Regardless of the outcome, Bernstine has decided this will be his last run of competitive tennis, making the decision to focus on his studies at Virginia Tech and playing the game in a more casual, social atmosphere.

“It was tough, but I thought about if I wanted to grind out another four years, and I don’t think

Those casual games will come soon enough, but with the doubles tournament starting on Thursday, June 8 and the singles tournament starting the day after, the competitive side of these two seniors will come out one last time as they embark on their final runs at Goochland with one more shot at championship glory.

Robby Fletcher can be reached at rfletcher @powhatantoday.com.