A pair of Olympus boys tennis players brought home a state title at the Class 5A state meet, held May 8, 10 at Liberty Park. 

The first doubles tandem of Jake Fankhauser and Yaroslav Sumtsov entered the state tournament as the first seed in their group. The players didn’t disappoint, winning four matches to claim the top prize. Fankhauser and Sumtsov defeated James Covey and Henry Owen of Brighton 6-1, 6-0 to clinch the title. 

“[Fankhauser] and [Sumtsov] had an unbelievable tournament,” head coach Josh Carter said. “They won first place at first doubles and literally got better each match they played. By the end of the tournament, they were rolling past every team they played. Doubles is very different than singles and requires practice, strategy and teamwork to excel. Jake and Yari worked hard each week and were dramatically better doubles players together as a team by the end of the season.”

Carter said Fankhauser and Sumtsov’s title was the highlight of the season. It was especially gratifying seeing them claim the championship given the hard work they put in all year.

“One of the best moments was seeing Jake and Yaroslav win state together,” Carter said. “They were great friends during the season, and both had been through a lot to get there. Jake has been a tremendous tennis talent from his youth, very passionate about the game and the Olympus tennis family. He has worked very hard but had not won a state title yet.”

The pair won its round of 16 match 6-1, 6-1 and prevailed in the quarterfinals 6-3, 6-2. A victory in the semifinals over a tough team from Timpview sent the doubles pair to the final match. 

For Sumtsov to get to this point was the culmination of a lot of sacrifice, perseverance and overcoming hardships. Raised in Ukraine, Sumtsov and his mother fled to Poland and then to the Czech Republic once the war started in the Ukraine.        

“It seemed like a miracle for them to be in Salt Lake City away from the war and in relative safety and security,” Carter said. “He was an incredible example to our team of positivity, gratitude and humility. He worked so hard and is a tremendous tennis talent. When he arrived at Olympus High School in the fall, Jake and his family became good friends to Yari and so having them play together seemed meant to be. Having them win it all together was amazing and very emotional for all of us who were aware of their journey over the past few years. We were all super grateful to have experienced that with them all.”

As a team, the Titans tied for fourth place with 27 points, four behind Timpview, which placed third. The second doubles team of Owen Linthorst and Stephen Morgan also excelled at state, reaching the finals. The duo was seeded fifth and won its first three state matches. Linthorst and Morgan first beat a team from Alta 6-0, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, they defeated an opponent from Viewmont 6-3, 6-2. This sent the team to the semifinals where Linthorst and Morgan faced Highland. In a three-set match, Linthorst and Morgan prevailed 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. 

Things started off well in the championship match for the second doubles pair. 

Linthorst and Morgan shut out their foes from Brighton 6-0 in set one. But from there, it was all Brighton, which won sets two and three 6-1, 6-2. 

Second singles player Mark Holmes and third singles competitor Joshua Jackson also qualified for state but fell in the round of 16. 

“We were very pleased with the effort and success of our team at state,” Carter said. “We were thrilled with how each player stepped up to support the team in whatever position they were asked to play and gave it their best effort. Relatively early in the season, we realized that our top players would have the best chance of advancing far in state by competing in doubles rather than singles. They started working early in the season on their doubles games and made the switch about halfway through. It was incredible to see how hard they worked, their humble attitudes trying to get better together, and then to see them dramatically improve from week to week. This also gave some players who were not expecting to play singles early on the chance to step up and really compete well against some very high-level players. They took on the challenge and were able to win some crucial early games in state to help the team. The whole team supported each other throughout the season and lived up to our team mantra of being a family.”

Carter said he was targeting a top-five finish and was happy with the team’s fourth-place showing, especially considering the talent and depth that other teams boasted. Last season, Olympus was sixth in the 5A tournament. 

Though they didn’t get the same accolades as the Olympus doubles-team players, other Titan players contributed to the program’s success. Carter pointed out first singles player Chase Gladstone, third singles player Josh Jackson and senior captain Mark Holmes as integral members of the team this past season. 

“[Gladstone] was heroic and fearless to play first singles for us even though we thought he might play doubles early in the season,” Carter said. “He was eager to compete for the first singles position internally and then did a great job fighting hard in regions and state there. He'll be a force next season with his work ethic and talent. [Holmes] was a humble, dedicated leader as always, winning a solid first-round match in state to win us a point as a team at second singles and was a strong contributor all year. [Jackson] also shined at third singles. He just started playing tennis in the last few years, and with his dedication, hard work and consistent indomitable style of play was able to go from playing on the development team last year, JV team at the beginning of the season, to a state singles competitor that won his first-round match.”

Keep an eye on the Titans next season. Olympus returns some talented players, including Linthorst and Morgan. Expectations will be high in 2025.

“We are excited about a bright future for Olympus boys tennis,” Carter said. “Varsity returners [Linthorst], [Morgan] and [Gladstone] will be leading the team, along with some strong competitors from our JV team, including rising seniors Thomas Nilson and Eli Pingree, and juniors Will McOmber, Jordan Leishman and several others who will be competing for varsity spots.”