ALTON - Alton's boys tennis team continues to improve under Coach Jesse Macias and this past weekend, they achieved the biggest accomplishment of the season.
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Alton High School captured the championship in the Nadal division at the JD Sinnock Springfield Invitational on Saturday, April 26, 2025, highlighted by strong singles and doubles performances from its tennis team.
The Alton tennis boys are Auto Butler Male Athletes of Month.
The Redbirds' Alex Tuetken secured the championship in the number one singles bracket, while his brother, Nick Tuetken, finished as runner-up in the number two singles for the Redbirds. Freshman Carter Hanebutt and sophomore Erick Humphrey also earned second place in the number two doubles competition, narrowly losing in a third-set tiebreak to Peoria Richwoods.
Alton coach Jesse Macias praised the contributions of the Tuetken brothers, saying, "Alex has been the constant all year. He battles every night and puts in the work as a captain in practice. He's a great role model for the young kids in the program and I'm really happy for him. Nick is just a second year player, but he really benefits from having Alex as a hitting partner. They both wanted singles in this tourney and they came through."
Macias also highlighted the doubles team of Hanebutt and Humphrey, noting, "Carter is still learning doubles, but he has fun and competes for every point. They are young but they are a solid team. Eric is steady at the baseline and net, and does a good job of communicating on the court. They both were phenomenal today."
In addition, the duo of Joe Ventimiglia and David Reese placed fifth after advancing through their last two matches following a first-round bye. Macias commented on their performance, saying, "They left some points out there in the first match, but they never quit. I'm proud of their resiliency, great effort all day."
Alton High School’s tennis team is set to compete next in the Champaign Centennial Doubles Tournament on Saturday.
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