SNOQUALMIE – The Mount Si Wildcats boys tennis team is looking to make a bit of a statement this season. After finishing last year with an 0-9 record, the Wildcats will have many returning players with an additional year of experience under their belts and that may help them this season.

The team is coached by Gary Olson, who is in his fourth year with the program. Olson will graduate his first class of kids that he’s coached for the entire four years this year, and that class is led by John Lockie. Also looking to make an impact this year are fellow seniors Greg Beckmann, Blake Kinghorn, Tim Lewis, Tim Coleman, Kendall Brenneise and junior Bryce Wilson. Olson is excited about the group.

“A lot of them are doing really well,” Olson said. “We had a great practice week last week [the first week of practice].”

The freshmen that turned out for varsity “are really showing a lot of promise,” Olson said.

Again, teaching and learning is the main thing with this growing program.

“Mainly, the team goal is just for them individually to just show improvement, and that’s all we’re working toward, just improvement individually, and we know that if they do that they’ll go out and they’ll play their hardest,” said Olson.

Experience is a big bonus for this team, said Wilson.

“It helps a lot,” he said. “Experience will get us a long ways.”

The top teams, as usual in Kingco tennis for both boys and girls, will be Bellevue, Mercer Island and Newport. Olson was pointed in his observations about the conference.

“When you’re playing against people and teams that have individuals that have played for the past ten years and [are] growing up playing the sport, it’s hard to compete against those that have been playing that [long], when my guys have played maybe 20 weeks out of their life, or 30 weeks in essence, it’s hard to compete,” Olson said. He added that the tough, experienced Kingco competition is good for his players.

“For them, that’s how they learn, and that’s their competition, and that’s how they’re going to get better,” he said.

For a sport that has had trouble in the past attracting a lot of interest at the school, the new $75 high-school sports fee could have been a problem, but Olson thought otherwise.

“I don’t think [the fee] impacted the turnout at all. In fact, this year we’ve gotten the most freshmen influx,” he said.

Beckmann had a strong off-season routine which has helped him get ready for the year.

“Work out everyday, go running, stay in shape, and try to play at least once a week, [and] work on my serve,” he said.