There was no stopping Will Semler last year, and the same came true in 2023. Just ask his training partner.
The Lincoln junior made it back-to-back individual state titles after taking down Beaverton’s Tannor Binder 7-5, 6-3 in the championship match, the same matchup from the 2022 final.
kAm~?46 282:?[ $6>=6C C@==65 E9C@F89 E96 7:6=5[ 5C@AA:?8 @?=J D6G6? 82>6D :? 9:D E9C66 >2E496D =625:?8 FA E@ E96 7:?2=D]k^Am
kAm%96 7:?2=D A:EE65 9:> 282:?DE q:?56C 27E6C E96 EH@ =:?<65 FA 2D EC2:?:?8 A2CE?6CD 2?5 6IA6C:6?465 EC6>6?5@FD 8C@HE9 @G6C E96 A2DE J62C D:?46 E96:C =2DE >66E:?8 2E E96 q236EE6 w@C6?DE6:? %6??:D r6?E6C]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 366? EC2:?:?8 H:E9 9:> 7@C 2 =:EE=6 @G6C 2 J62C ?@H[ x E9:?<[” $6>=6C D2:5] “(6 <:?5 @7 ?665 6249 @E96C 2?5 >J 3C@E96C 2D H6==[ H6 96=A 6249 @E96C 2 =@E] (6’C6 4@249:?8 6249 @E96C 2== E96 H2J[ 23D@=FE6=J 46?EC2=]”k^Am
kAm%96 7:?2= >2E49 H2D?’E E@@ 5:776C6?E 7C@> E96 J62C AC:@C[ H96? $6>=6C H@? e\c[ f\e WdX E@ E2<6 9@>6 E96 E:E=6 2D 2 D@A9@>@C6]k^Am
kAm%9:D E:>6[ E96 3:8 AFD9 7C@> q:?56C 42>6 :? E96 7:CDE 2D E96 EH@ 96=5 D6CG6 F?E:= :E H2D e\d 2?5 q:?56C H2D FA E@ D6CG6]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ $6>=6C 7@F?5 2 H2J E@ 3C62< q:?56C 2?5 4=@D6 @FE E96 D6E[ D6EE:?8 FA >@>6?EF> 7@C E96 D64@?5 E@ 4=@D6 :E @FE @? 2 9@E 52J :? q62G6CE@?]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 24EF2==J AC6EEJ D:>:=2C[ H6 3@E9 :>AC@G65 2 =@E @G6C E96 =2DE J62C[” $6>=6C D2:5] “~E96CH:D6 :E’D AC6EEJ 4=@D6[ >2C8:?D 2C6 D>2== 2E E9:D =6G6=] {@DE 2 4@FA=6 A@:?ED 96C6 2?5 E96C6[ @E96C A@:?ED 8@E 36EE6C] x E9:?< x A=2J65 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 288C6DD:G6 E92? 9:> E@52J 2?5 :E 8@E >6 E96 H:?]”k^Am
kAmq:?56C DE:== 8@E 2 H:? 2E E9:D J62C’D E@FC?2>6?E @G6C $6>=6C] w6 56762E65 (:==’D J@F?86C 3C@E96C %:86C :? E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 e\c[ f\d]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 2== E96 72>:=:2C:EJ 36EH66? q:?56C 2?5 E96 $6>=6CD[ E96C6 H2D 2 >2E49 E@ 36 A=2J65 H:E9 2 E:E=6 @? E96 =:?6] p?5 E96:C 7C:6?5D9:A 92D E@@ >F49 C6DA64E E@ ?@E 4@>A6E6 2D 92C5 2D E96J 42? H96? @FE @? E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm“x? E96 =2DE 4@FA=6 @7 H66<D EC2:?:?8[ J@F’C6 ?@E 5@:?8 E96 6I24E D2>6 E9:?8 2D J@F H@F=5 5@ :? 2 >2E49[” $6>=6C D2:5] “yFDE 2 4@FA=6 @7 @E96C E9:?8D] %96C6 2C6 D@>6 DFCAC:D6D … ~G6C2== H6 ;FDE 4@>6 @FE 96C6 E@ 4@>A6E6]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 q:?56C 36:?8 2 D6?:@C[ E96C6 H@?’E 36 2 492?46 7@C E9C66 4@?D64FE:G6 J62CD @7 92G:?8 E96D6 EH@ >2E49FA :? E96 7:?2=]k^Am
kAm%:86C $6>=6C A=2J65 q:?56C E96 4=@D6DE =625:?8 FA E@ E96 7:?2= >2E49[ =62G:?8 E96 5@@C H:56 @A6? 7@C 2 A@E6?E:2= 3C@E96C G6CDFD 3C@E96C >2E49FA :? a_ac]k^Am
kAmqFE 7@C ?@H[ $6>=6C DE:== DE2?5D 2D E96 <:?8 @7 ~C68@? ep E6??:D[ 2?5 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ E2<6 D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= E@ <?@4< 9:> @77 E96 E9C@?6]k^Am
k9bm~E96C C6DF=EDk^9bm
kAm(9:=6 $6>=6C H2D 23=6 E@ 5676?5 9:D :?5:G:5F2= 4C@H?[ E96 r2C5:?2=D 4@F=5?’E BF:E6 5676?5 E96:C E62> E:E=6]k^Am
kAm(6DE {:?? E@@< @G6C {:?4@=?’D DA@E 2E@A E96 A@5:F> H:E9 ab A@:?ED[ H9:=6 $F?D6E 42>6 :? D64@?5 H:E9 `f] %96 r2C5:?2=D 2C6 DE:== 3C:?8:?8 9@>6 2 EC@A9J E9@F89[ 7:?:D9:?8 :? E9:C5 A=246 H:E9 `e A@:?ED] y6DF:E C@F?565 @FE E96 EC@A9J H:??6CD :? 7@FCE9 H:E9 `c A@:?ED]k^Am
kAmp 4@FA=6 @E96C =@42= A=2J6CD >256 D@=:5 CF?D :? vC2?E’D y@D:29 |@?6D 2?5 s2G:5 s@F8=2D’ y@?2E9@? }8FJ6?] q@E9 @7 E96> >256 :E E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D 367@C6 72==:?8 E@ $6>=6C :? |@?6D’ 42D6 2?5 }8FJ6? =@DE E@ E96 6G6?EF2==J E9:C5 A=246 H:??6C :? (6DE {:??’D y2ID@? {65H:E9]k^Am
kAmx? 5@F3=6D[ $:>@? !@EE6C 2?5 qFC<6 #6:==J 7C@> vC2?E 925 E96 36DE CF?[ 2=D@ >2<:?8 :E E@ E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D 367@C6 =@D:?8] %96 v6?6C2=D 6?565 FA :? 2 E:6 7@C 7:7E9 2D 2 E62> H:E9 6:89E A@:?ED[ 2=@?8 H:E9 q62G6CE@?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 4@?D@=2E:@? 3C24<6ED[ E96 3:886DE DA=2D9 42>6 7C@> {:?4@=? :? 5@F3=6D 5F@ uC656C:4 z6>A=6 2?5 r@@A6C {29E:] %96 5F@ 925 E@ 5672F=E E96:C 7:CDE >2E49 5F6 E@ xq E6DE:?8 E92E 4@F=5?’E 36 C6D4965F=65[ 3FE 42>6 324< E@ H:? E96 4@?D@=2E:@? 3C24<6E 2?5 96=A {:?4@=? E2<6 E9:C5 2D 2 E62>]k^Am
kAm$H:E49:?8 E@ E96 ep 8:C=D[ x52 q] (6==D’ r=2F5:2 q2C3:6C: 925 E96 36DE E@FC?2>6?E 7@C 2 =@42= A=2J6C[ >2<:?8 E96 D6>:7:?2=D 27E6C 2? FAD6E @7 }@] c D665 $J5?6J q@2C5 7C@> %:82C5] q2C3:6C: =@DE :? E96 D6>:7:?2=D e\_[ e\_ E@ 6G6?EF2= 492>A:@? }66?2 u6=5>2? 7C@> (6DEG:6H]k^Am
kAm%96 E@A =@42= 5F@ H2D 7C@> {:?4@=? H:E9 p?236==2 (:=<:?D@? 2?5 #6646 t>>6CE >2<:?8 E96 BF2CE6C7:?2=D 367@C6 72==:?8 E@ E96 E@A D665 7C@> (6DE {:??]k^Am
kAmr=2DD dp 925 D@>6 C6AC6D6?E2E:@? 7C@> !2C<C@D6 2D H6== H:E9 E96 3@JD 5F@ @7 s2G:5 '@ 2?5 #2J>@?5 {:6?] %96 EH@ 5C@AA65 E96:C 7:CDE C@F?5 >2E49[ 3FE C64@G6C65 E@ H:? E96 3@JD 4@?D@=2E:@? 3C24<6E E92?<D E@ 2 e\`[ f\e H:? :? E96 7:?2= >2E49 @G6C (6DE p=32?J]k^Am