Los Alamos High School Topper Girls and Boys Varsity Tennis Teams and Coaches and several former Toppers cheering them on. Photo by Gowri Srinivasan
Caris Hatler gets down for a forehand volley. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
By ADITYA VISWANATHAN
Topper Tennis
The Topper tennis teams toasted a successful season Wednesday, May 21, with a team banquet and looked back on how far both Boys and Girls Varsity and Junior Varsity teams had come in the span of just a few months.
The intense 2025 season kicked off with a road trip to El Paso, as the teams continued their rebuilding efforts after the departure of several top-ranked seniors last year. Some of the highlights of the season included an upset against Santa Fe Prep (boys), who were missing their No. 1 player Kauffman, a third-place win (boys) at the highly competitive Albuquerque Academy tournament and an impressive win against Belen (girls).
The Toppers racked up several honors at the District tournaments both in Team and Individual categories. The girls placed 4th, losing to Espanola and Robertson, 2 of the top teams in the state. Due to their stellar regular season record, they secured a wildcard for the state tournament. At team state, the girls faced off against old rivals 5 seeded Belen, but fortunes were reversed as they lost in a nailbiter 5-4.
Belen would go on to make the semi-finals. This was a very successful season since the girls achieved their goal of qualifying for state and were able to go toe to toe with some of the toughest teams in the state. The boys faced Santa Fe Prep in the finals and kept it closer than expected, falling in a nailbiter to repeat the previous year’s performance of District silver title.
At team state, the boys went in as 3 seeds setting up a rematch with Santa Fe Prep in the semifinals. With their full team on deck, Prep was too strong to overcome. The boys had much to be proud of, with only three losses the entire season.
Sabrina Kelley and Olivia Hamilton secured a 4th place finish in district doubles, however their strong season record earned them the lone wildcard slot for state, where they fell to the 4 seeded Belen team.
Mike Witkowski and Aditya Viswanathan placed 2nd in the district doubles, having to forfeit the finals due to respiratory illness. Eager to bounce back, the duo won the state title as the 3 seed, coming back from down a set in 3 of their matches. Boys team captain Axel Niklasson placed 3rd in district individuals, winning a thrilling 3 set match against Espanola’s Chris Gaytan to qualify for state. In state, he upset 4 seed Cole Hedges from ABQ Academy to power into the quarterfinals where he fell to Santa Fe Prep’s 8th grade phenom Holden Hirsch in a tough battle.
The JV teams also had very successful seasons. The boys placed 2nd in the JV statewide tournament, narrowly losing to a strong Academy team. The girls placed 3rd. Even though they lost their first round, due to the double-elimination format, the team was able to bounce back, beating Eldorado and Santa Fe High to earn a podium finish.
Senior captains Axel Niklasson and Sabrina Kelley are both very proud of the Toppers seasons. Kelly has been playing tennis since 7th grade and has been a crucial player on varsity since 8th grade. “I’m really glad the girls and boys both made into state and I think the team will be stronger next year”. Niklasson, who has played tennis for 6 years and had his best ever season making the state quarterfinals, shares similar enthusiasm for the team’s future, and will miss playing varsity tennis. “These are some of my favorite people out there, tennis is always great, and I’m really happy with how we did.” The team bids farewell to seniors Axel, Sabrina and Hayden Kim, who will be deeply missed.
The team’s coaching staff of Travis Gibson, Timur Khazratkulov, Lindsey Gibson, Nick Serafin, and Hari Viswanathan have done an incredible job rebuilding Los Alamos Tennis into a powerhouse. When they took over two years ago, there weren’t enough players to form a full girls team. Now, the team features 21 girls and 27 boys. With 5 of 6 varsity players for both teams returning for next year, and a thriving JV and middle school team, the future is bright for Topper tennis.
Head coach Travis Gibson believes the team will be capable of contending with the top teams in the state. Off the court, the team thrives too, with 5 girls and 6 boys on the Varsity teams earning Academic All-District honors.
The team would also like to thank their families and the community for their support throughout the whole year. We invite tennis players in the community to practice with us in the off-season and help us stay sharp for next year!
Michael Witkowski lines up a backhand passing shot. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Alea Kretz returns a backhand to extend the rally. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Aditya Viswanathan closes in to put away a forehand volley. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com