With Collin Beduhn as the leader last spring, the Wayzata boys ran the table and won the State Class AA team tennis championship.
This year’s edition of Trojan tennis is similarly successful with junior Aaron Beduhn as one of the three captains. Replacing Collin as the No. 1 singles player has not been easy, but Aaron is doing quite well after moving up from No. 2 singles, his position last season.
“At No. 1 singles, I’m playing tougher opponents in more difficult matches,” Aaron said.
On trips to out-of-state tournaments, Aaron has had the opportunity to challenge the top singles players from three other states.
“I beat the top guys from Illinois and Wisconsin, but lost to the top guy from Iowa,” he said.
This is Aaron’s fourth season on varsity, and there is no question he has taken on more of a leadership role this spring.
“Senior Tanay Panguluri and sophomore Rishi Ranjith are captains along with Aaron,” Wayzata head coach Jeff Prondzinski noted. “If you asked most of the kids who the team leader is, they would probably say Aaron. That’s because they realize he is our best player and also the hardest worker. We’re a very young team with only two seniors.”
“When I first joined the team as an eighth-grader,” I didn’t know many of the guys,” Aaron said. “But I remember how the seniors helped me feel welcome. Now that I’m a leader, I want to help make this one big team. We have three freshmen and three middle-school players, but we’re one family.”
One of the other key players on varsity is Nolan Beduhn, Aaron’s freshman brother. Nolan has stepped into a first doubles role for the undefeated Trojans.
Through 15 matches, Wayzata is 15-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state in Class AA. The Trojans defeated Maple Grove 7-0 earlier this season, and most years Maple Grove is their main competition in Section 5AA.
“Our outlook is super-promising this year and for many years into the future,” Aaron said.
The junior captain is undefeated in Lake Conference matches this year. He was not in the lineup for the Hopkins match May 9, choosing to give up his spot so one of the younger players could gain varsity experience.
Collin Beduhn had the hardest serve in the history of Minnesota prep tennis, often hitting the ball more than 130 miles per hour. Aaron can’t match that velocity, but his placement is spot-on most of the time.
“Volleys are the best part of my game,” Aaron said. “When I can get to the net, I win most of the points.”
Coach Prondzinski said Aaron is a student of the game, much the same as Collin, who now plays for the University of Wisconsin.
“The last four seasons, we’ve lost only two matches,” coach Prondzinski said. “Aaron has been with us that whole time. Running the table last year was the most fun. We have a lot of talent and depth again this year, but I still see room for growth.”
The middle-school players, as well as some of the freshmen, have not yet faced the pressure of playing in the State Class AA Tournament in front of a huge crowd at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center. The first step is to qualify. Once the Trojans are there, they will face challenges from seasoned teams from the likes of Mahtomedi, Rochester Mayo and either The Blake School or Edina from Section 6AA.
Aaron Beduhn has had a chance to watch Collin play for Wisconsin, and that experience has made him more determined to follow Collin into the Division I ranks.
“Having Collin as my brother gives me someone to look up to,” Aaron said. “He was always a good leader and never got mad at anybody on the team. I try to follow his example. I am 100 percent interested in playing Division I tennis. When I watched Wisconsin play, the energy and atmosphere was unreal. I want to be part of that.”
Aaron said he likes representing Wayzata High on the court “because the standards are so high.”
That comes mainly from coach Prondzinski.
“He’s the type of coach who never wants to lose a match - or even a point,” Aaron said. “It is such a privilege for me to be part of this program.”
In the classroom, Aaron is just as successful as he is on the court. Taking five advance-placement classes, he earns straight A’s in school. His weighted GPA is north of 4.0, so there’s a lot more to his success story than being one of Minnesota’s best high school tennis players.
Most Popular
Comments / 0