2024 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best high school boys tennis players in central Ohio?

Division II singles champion Henry Lessard of Bexley is among the dozen state qualifiers making up the 2024 Dispatch All-Metro boys tennis team.

Lessard was announced as the Boys Tennis Athlete of the Year at the Central Ohio High School Sports Awards on June 20 at Mershon Auditorium . The show, which was produced with the support of Middlefield Bank and Ohio Athletic Performance, honored athletes from 30 sports .

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Here are the boys tennis honorees:

Krish Badri, Olentangy Liberty

The senior excelled wherever needed for the OCC-Central champion Patriots, going 5-3 at second singles and 12-4 at first doubles. He and younger brother Arya, a sophomore, were Division I sectional and district runners-up in doubles and split two matches at state . This was the first state appearance for both.

Ben Bilenko, New Albany

Bilenko finished his high school career as a four-time Division I state qualifier. He went 25-4 this spring, mostly in doubles with several partners and advanced to state with sophomore Tyler Thomas (27-4). The duo won sectional and district championships and went 1-1 at state.

Jackson Clements, New Albany

The junior had his best season yet, earning a Division I district runner-up finish in singles and second consecutive state tournament berth . Clements went 26-8 this season, playing mostly second singles for an Eagles team that won its 18th consecutive league championship, and split two matches at state.

Abhinav Dandu, New Albany

A junior and the Eagles’ top singles player most of this season, Dandu (30-4) finished as Division I state runner-up in singles. He won sectional and district championships to earn his first state berth and lost 6-2, 6-2 to Cincinnati St. Xavier’s Carson Dwyer in the final.

Zach Haar, Olentangy Orange

The senior was a singles anchor for the Pioneers as they earned their second consecutive Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Division I state runner-up finish . Alternating between second and third singles, Haar (17-6) was a sectional champion and district qualifier.

Shane Hand, Olentangy Liberty

A sophomore, Hand’s first postseason as a singles player resulted in a fourth-place finish at the Division I state tournament. Hand (17-9) lost to Dandu in three sets in the Hilliard Bradley sectional final, placed third at district and went 2-2 at state. He played No. 1 singles throughout the spring for the Patriots, who were OTCA district runners-up.

Henry Lessard, Bexley

The freshman won the Division II state singles championship, coming from behind to edge Pepper Pike Orange’s Chika Nwaozuzu 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3 in the final. The Lions’ first singles champion since 1986, Lessard (27-1) was 7-0 in three-set matches and lost only to Cincinnati Sycamore’s Nick Meyers in the first week of the season.

Sam Lessard, Bexley

A junior and three-time Division II state qualifier, Lessard and senior Oscar Ramsden were sectional champions and district runners-up before going 1-1 at state. Lessard (25-10) played No. 2 singles throughout the regular season behind his younger brother, helping Bexley to the Central Buckeye League championship and an OTCA Division II district runner-up finish.

Nason Lo, Columbus Academy

The sophomore went 12-6 in singles and 5-0 in doubles before going the singles route in the postseason, winning a home Division II sectional and finishing second at district to Henry Lessard. Lo, who finished third in doubles at state last year with older brother Rowen, won his first match at state this spring but retired because of a hand injury in the second round.

Rowen Lo, Columbus Academy

A junior, Lo returned to state in doubles and finished fourth, this time with classmate Lucas Xue. The duo won sectional and district championships. Lo generally played doubles during the regular season, going 19-4, and won four of his six singles matches.

Nik Shough, Dublin Coffman

The junior went 17-8 and reached his first Division I state tournament, capping a season that saw him place fourth at a Bradley sectional that included all four state singles qualifiers and fourth at district. Shough played No. 1 singles throughout the regular season for the Shamrocks and lost his only match at state.

Lucas Xue, Columbus Academy

The junior was the Vikings’ top singles player most of the regular season but switched to doubles for the postseason. Xue reached his third state tournament, but the previous two appearances were in singles. Xue finished 23-6, including 13-2 in doubles. Academy (16-5) won its third OTCA Division II district championship in four seasons and placed third at state.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 2024 Dispatch All-Metro: Who are the best high school boys tennis players in central Ohio?