Tennis Nets District Title
J
esuit is district champions yet again as the tennis team, led by Travis Smith, was crowned codistrict champions to end a short season. “We had such a senior heavy team,” coach Smith said. “This team had such high expectations as players were looking forward to this season for years, and I could not be happier for this group of district champions.” The Jays were not able to play their highly anticipated matches against co-district champion Brother Martin and the skilled group of Newman, but they did dominate their four matches against St. Augustine, Rummel, Country Day and Holy Cross before COVID-19 hit Louisiana. Yet, their biggest moment happened in Mobile, AL, in the 52 | J A Y N O T E S | S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 0
McGill-Toolen Invitational where Jesuit showed that they could compete with anyone in the state. Jesuit’s A-team made it all the way to the “Final Four” where they lost a hard-fought match to defending state champion Catholic. Even after the loss, Jesuit showed that they would not back down and might serve as a preview for matches to come. They would not get a chance to play another match for the blue and white, but the team’s effort and determination never wavered on or off the court. While the seniors did not get the sendoff that they were hoping for, two tremendous players will be looking to improve upon their achievements in college. Captain Jojo Sandoz will be heading to Christian Brothers
(above, clockwise from left top) Jojo Sandoz; Nicolas Kapusta; Pierce Westbrook
University in Memphis. Sandoz has been competing at line-one singles since his freshman year, including a regional singles championship in 2018. Also, Sandoz has matched his superior play by being a leader off the court for four years. Pierce Westbrook will also pursue his dream at Howard University as he has gone from a junior varsity player during freshman campaign to varsity line-one doubles his senior year. Smith could not be prouder of his older squad for sticking through the oddest season in recent memory and obtaining a co-district title.
