About Boys Tennis
Tim Ellis takes over the Ames High boys tennis program, just a season removed from a two-year stint as the girls head coach for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ellis, a 2018 IHSAA singles state champion, will look to return the boys tennis program to the team state tournament. Ellis-led Little Cyclone teams finished in the state quarterfinals in each of Ellis’s final three years of high school. The boys return Anson Bernard and Tharun Raju after the pair qualified for a state doubles tournament appearance in 2023. That season, the Little Cyclones finished 7-6 overall and 6-3 in league play.
Points of Pride
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Singles ChampionsThe Little Cyclones have had two singles champions all-time: Ken Donelson in 1939 followed by current girls’ head coach Timmy Ellis in 2018.
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Runner-up Singles FinishesThere have been five additional runner-up singles finishes by Ames boys tennis athletes. The seven total top-two finishes are the ninth-most in IHSAA history.
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Doubles ChampionsIn doubles, the Little Cyclones have recorded a trio of state crowns. A pair came in the 1930s with Frank Brown/Holmes Brown (1933) and Paul Moser/Lawrence Owens (1935). The most recent doubles title came in 2012 when Alex Qin and Tommy Pitcher took the crown.
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State Tournament AppearancesIn team play, the Little Cyclone boys tennis program has made 15 state tournament appearances, the fourth most of any team. Ames won the state team title in 2011.
Contact the Coach
Tim Ellis
