Head Coach: Emilio Mercado – 2nd season
Assistant Coaches:
Nathan White
Sport: Tennis (G)
Team Name: Jim Thorpe Olympians
League: Colonial
2024 Record: 6W10L
Key Players Lost:
Chloe Tantala – 2nd Singles
Diamond Alvear – 1st Doubles
Key Returning Players:
Keira Reese – Senior, 1st Singles, 5’3″
Keira is a star on the court. She puts power on all her shots and is constantly working to improve. I mean, she plays almost every day! She may have a slight fear of the net, but she’s been tackling that since the summer and continues to make progress.
Noelanie Sepulveda – Junior, 2nd Singles, 5’4″
Noelanie is impressively consistent and hustles for every ball. She truly embodies grit on the court. Once she adds more power to her shots, she’ll thrive in the 2nd Singles spot.
Anjali Chiulli – Junior, 3rd Singles, 5’4″
Anjali is moving up to 3rd Singles and attended our summer camp to prepare for the switch. Now that she’s solo on the court, she’ll need to move twice as much and work twice as hard, but she’s ready to show off her game.
Lila DeJessa – Senior, 1st Doubles, 5’10”
Now in her third year of tennis, Lila has faced tough Colonial League competition and responded with determination. She took lessons at Valley Royale alongside Keira and even joined a USTA-affiliated team tennis league to strengthen her skills.
Amanda Martell – Junior, 1st Doubles, 5’9″
Amanda has the strongest mental game on the team. Her tennis is solid, but her mindset shines. She keeps the court lighthearted with jokes and makes sure communication stays strong with her partner. She’s a little sporadic at the net, but her energy lifts everyone up.
Key Newcomers:
Ella Ramey – Freshman, 5’8″ , 2nd Doubles
Hannah Wirth – Sophomore, 5’6″ , 2nd Doubles
2025 Outlook: We’ve put it the work over the summer and in the brutal heat. Some of our girls made it to doubles district last year and of course, we want more. With personal goals like Keira’s, who’s determined to qualify for the singles district tournament, and of our team of wanting to make it to team district. We’re ready to showcase our work and ready to take it far, so look out for our Jim Thorpe girls.
