Just a freshman, Ian Gaytan has proven to be one of the top tennis players not just in Española, but in all of Northern New Mexico.
The young Sundevil made it all the way to the semifinals June 4 at the district tournament, capping nearly every point with his miniature fist pump. That gave him the chance to return June 5 to Robertson High School for the third-place match. Though he ultimately lost and took fourth place, he showed plenty of promise for his future.
As an added bonus, Gaytan was able to see the top players in the region after competing in 2 Singles during the season.
The Sundevils were without their top seniors. Instead, much younger players had a chance to compete against some of the top opponents in the district.
“I saw them all playing as hard as they could and staying positive, and just improving,” said coach Nancy Suazo. “They progressed great, and they were very coachable, and had very positive attitudes. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Gaytan won easily in his first match, looking dominant over Taos’ Ari Kolman, 6-0, 6-1. In the quarterfinals, he made quick work of a St. Michael’s opponent in a 6-1, 6-3 win.
“I feel that he is constructing the point exceptionally well,” Suazo said. She said Gayan’s serve has been improving, and his first serve looked quite strong throughout the day.
Gaytan said he started the day nervous, but quickly became excited to play.
For the semifinal, he went up against top-seeded Owen Dooley from Los Alamos, whose huge swing power and drop shot were too much to overcome, and Gaytan failed to win a game. But he also saw plenty of things to learn from for the future.
Also in boys singles, eighth-grader Adam Gonzales competed for the Sundevils, but lost 6-0, 6-0 to the same Los Alamos opponent that defeated Gaytan.
In boys doubles, sophomores Erik Ortega and Damion Westfall started strong but ultimately fell to Moriarty opponents, 6-3, 6-0.
“We’ll be back next year,” said Ortega. “We’re all motivated to win next year.”
Ortega had only been playing tennis for two months, having started in April. He said he thought he could be good.
“I’ve got a passion for it, I could be like the next Serena Williams,” he joked.
Suazo said that while the experience varies from players on the team, many of them are new to tennis. And those who had played in previous years had to adjust to now being in the top matches.
“I knew that with COVID last year, that we were going to have to recruit quite a few,” she said.
Freshman Joaquin Salazar and junior Albert Martinez also lost their first-round match, 6-2, 6-1.
For the Lady Sundevils, junior Daphne Talamantes was the strongest performer, winning her first-round match over a Moriarty opponent easily with a 6-3, 6-1 score. She then lost 6-0, 6-1 to a Los Alamos junior who had been undefeated in the regular season.
“It helped us see our flaws, and what we have to work on,” Talamantes said. “Since we didn’t have that much playing time last year, we all really helped each other out.”
Junior Joni Martinez was the other entrant in girls singles, but lost 6-0, 6-0 in her first match.
In girls doubles, sophomore Nicole Velasquez and freshman Jennifer Gallegos started strong but could not hold on against the No. 4 seed from Santa Fe Prep, losing 6-2, 6-3 in the first round.
And the pairing of senior Miranda Salazar and sophomore Katy Gaytan, who had not played together all season, lost to another Santa Fe Prep pair in the first round.
Nearly the entire team will be returning next year, with the potential for more experience for the young players as they continue to improve. Suazo said she hopes they can qualify for state as a team next year if the field returns to the normal size.
Throughout the day, the team could be seen hanging out with each other and supporting their teammates. Multiple players mentioned the bond the team has as a strong point for their performance.
“I love my team,” Gaytan said. “We’re all great friends. The connection helps us work great.”
Talamantes said the team helps pick each other up during bad days, and are always super positive with each other.
“We all work together, we’re like a family,” Ortega said, and jokingly added, “Some of us are family.”
“Sundevils, state champs, next year,” promised Ortega.