High school boys tennis: Timpview wins 5A state crown for fallen teammate

SALT LAKE CITY - The Timpview boys tennis team’s minds were not entirely focused on their matches Saturday afternoon.

Fortunately, the rest of their bodies were, and that was enough for the Thunderbirds to earn their second straight 5A state tennis championship at Liberty Park.

For the last week, Timpview High has been grieving for one of its athletes, Levi Teemant, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an automobile-related accident.

Teemant was one of the Thunderbirds’ top doubles players but is now in critical condition at Primary Children’s Hospital.

Timpview coach Nate Warner said he had to adjust his lineup but also keep his squad focused while Teemant remains in a coma in what would have been a highlight of his high school athletic career.

Fortunately, the rest of the team came through as Timpview finished with 61 points to edge second-place Skyline (53). Viewmont earned third place with 21 points, followed by Spanish Fork (20), Maple Mountain (18) and Bountiful (15).

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Timpview won individual titles in No. 1 and No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles. The Thunderbirds also finished as runners-up in No. 1 doubles.

Their team title was in doubt, however, until No. 2 doubles, where Warner replaced Teemant with sophomore Blake Baker.

Baker and Thomas Gouff drew a big cheer from their teammates when they defeated Skyline’s Jensen Lewis and Seth Oliver 6-3, 7-5 for the clinching points.

“He came through and played phenomenal today,” Warner said of Baker. “It was really emotional for all of us and we came together and played inspirational tennis.”

Teemant’s injury occurred a week ago and Warner said Timpview had time to adjust. Warner and co-coach Emmet Hart helped arrange for inspirational-themed T-shirts to be printed on short notice for the players to wear during the tournament.

He was also impressed when region rival Springville reportedly sent some of its players to the hospital for emotional support and Skyline’s athletes delivered a gift basket to the Timpview team at the tourney Saturday, even though the event’s outcome was still in doubt.

“A classy thing for those people to do, that’s for sure,” Warner said. “That kind of thing will never be forgotten.”

Ryan Austin and Rowan Halliday won singles crowns for Timpview. Skyline kept the team title in doubt thanks to Noah Gonzalez, who defeated Daniel (DJ) Gunnell for the championship in No. 3 singles.

A pair of freshmen, Mithran Loganathan and Dan Jansen, also sailed through their division in No. 1 doubles, except for a close, three-set match against Alta’s Lorenzo Demke/Coby Goodfellow.

Warner said Timpview’s 20^th boys tennis title felt good, but the team’s plan to celebrate this particular crown was to visit Primary Children’s and place the trophy in their teammate’s room.