
The Point Loma High School (PLHS) boys varsity tennis team clinched its second consecutive CIF Division II team tennis championship on Friday, May 15 at the Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma. Last season, the team won the CIF divisional men’s tennis championship for Point Loma High — its first win since 1966. Nine of the 2008 title team members returned for the 2009 victory season. New to the team this year were Corey Smith and Marlon Thompkins. The winning varsity squad, under coach Chris Magers, includes: Zach Leslie, Corey Smith and Ryan Harris in singles and Axel Cramer, Trevor Donovan, Marlon Thompkins, Kishan Patel, Nathaniel Johnson and Jack Newman in doubles. Also joining the team during the year were John Davies, Kevin Davies, Alec Deryckere and Stephen Devito. In the May 15 match, the PLHS team defeated Steele Canyon 17-1. Leslie, Smith and Harris swept the singles. The pairings of Cramer/Donovan and Thompkins/Patel swept in doubles and the Johnson/Newman tandem won 2 of 3 sets. Harris was the recipient of the PLHS Sportsmanship Award for the event. PLHS finished the season with an overall record of 15-1, highlighted by beating both Poway High School and Rancho Bernardo High School, making PLHS one of the strongest high school tennis teams in San Diego this year. Despite losing four seniors, next year bodes well for the PLHS tennis team with returning starters Leslie, Smith, Johnson, Thompkins, Cramer and Patel. Also returning will be Kevin Davies, Deryckere, and Devito. “Point Loma High School tennis is now recognized as one of the elite high school teams in San Diego and may be for years to come,” said Magers.