<p>A year ago, Seth Jasek literally put the junior in junior varsity tennis at Center Grove.</p><p>However, the improvements made by Jasek in the months leading up to his senior season were enough to land him a starting spot on the state’s fifth-ranked team.</p><p>Jasek ran his record at No. 3 singles to 9-1 on Thursday with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Whiteland junior Ariss Mardanzai in the championship match of the Johnson County tournament at Center Grove.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>The Trojans fed off the momentum to defeat the previously unbeaten 25th-ranked Warriors, 4-1.</p><p>“It’s amazing going from low JV all the way up to senior year and to varsity and No. 3 singles,” Jasek said. “I just wanted to be a part of the team and contribute whichever spot I was playing. It’s been a great year.</p><p>“It’s all about playing matches. What I’ve done through the season and even before was play match after match after match. What I did was work as hard as I could.”</p><p>Jasek, one of 10 seniors on the Trojans’ roster, impressed his coach with the hours applied to sharpening his tennis skill set and confidence.</p><p>“I’ll be honest. When (Jasek) was younger, I questioned whether he would ever even play in a meaningful match,” Center Grove coach Ivan Smith said. “The thing is, every year that he’s been here, he always asks questions. He always works hard. And this winter and spring, I don’t know if there’s anybody who worked harder than him.”</p><p>Trojan senior Luke Embrey won at No. 2 singles, handing Warrior sophomore Ty McCullars his first loss of the season, 6-1, 6-3. Whiteland’s lone point was scored by senior Quinten Gillespie at No. 1 singles, where he downed Center Grove senior Dhrumil Patel, 6-1, 6-2.</p><p>The victory gave Gillespie, the top singles player since the start of his freshman season, his 70th career win, tying former Warrior Sam Venter for the program record.</p><p>Center Grove’s top doubles tandem of Carson Contos and Landen Finlinson defeated Christian Felker and Dylan Gross, 6-2, 6-1. The Trojans’ No. 2 doubles pairing, Glenn Swaney and Bennett Strain, won by the same score over Josh Pitts and Travis Robinson.</p><p>Whiteland coach Mike Gillespie, whose squad was 12-0 prior to Thursday’s match, couldn’t fault the Warriors’ focus against Center Grove.</p><p>“I thought we competed well. I don’t think we were scared of them,” Gillespie said. “(Center Grove) is a very good team, and some years when you play against a No. 5 team in the state the players would come out a little nervous.</p><p>“I don’t think that was the case today. They were just a better team than us. I thought we played well at times, but just weren’t consistent enough.”</p><p>The Warriors return to action at the Mid-State Conference tournament Monday and Tuesday at Perry Meridian. Center Grove plays at Bloomington North on Monday.</p>
