By Joanna Chadwick
Collegiate tennis has two of its top players pulling double duty this spring.
Junior Maddox Drumright is a two-time state doubles defending champion with his brother, Carter, who is now playing baseball at Tabor College.
“Maddox also is the catcher for (Class 3A’s) No. 1-ranked baseball team, as well as playing on the 3A state winning basketball team,” tennis coach Simon Norman said. “Great athlete.”
Then there’s senior Charlie Gentile.
“He’s also playing on the golf team for the defending state 3A golf champions, as well as (being) the defending 3A state singles champion,” Norman said.
Collegiate also returned sophomore Amir Khicha, who was a 2025 regional singles champ after beating Gentile in three sets. But at state, it was Gentile who beat Khicha in three sets to win the 3A title.
Khicha currently is 7-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.
Also back is the doubles team of sophomores G. Farha and Vihaan Ganganala, who took second in regionals in 2025 and third in 3A.
“This team is capable of defending our state team title, but we don’t underestimate anyone,” Norman said. “I am privileged to have a super-talented squad of players. They have all stepped up and played at a good level, and we look to grow and improve as a team.”
Norman is currently in the kind of situation that makes a coach continue.
“It is just a great bunch of guys who are good students, athletes and teammates,” he said. “They are the epitome of why I continue to love coaching high school tennis.”
