Meet the finalists for Oregonian/OregonLive boys tennis player of the year

The tennis state championships were held on Saturday, marking the end of the 2023-24 season. The championships included a historic moment marking just the 13th time someone has won three state titles, and also maybe opened the door for a future four-time champion.

The results for boys tennis player of the year, with a feature story on the winner, will be published on June 5.

Here is a look at each of our 2023-24 finalists for boys tennis player of the year:

Will Semler, Lincoln

With a third state championship win on Saturday, Semler has entered into rarified air in Oregon’s high school tennis scene as only the 13th boys tennis player to win three state titles. The win didn’t come easy, however, as he had to take two sets all the way to the tiebreaker round in the state finals.

Vitomir Petcov, Southridge

After not making it out of the second round of the state tournament last year, Petcov may have been the state’s most improved player this season as he bulldozed his way to the state championship match. Petcov’s powerful serve proved to be a weapon as he tied up Semler multiple times in their finals matchup.

Kaiden Harris, La Salle Prep

If the Harris name at La Salle Prep seems familiar, the answer is yes. Harris is the younger brother of Kennedy Harris, who is now a three-time state champion on the Class 5A girls side. Kaiden Harris, in just his first year in high school, lifted the Class 5A singles boys state title on Saturday in a three-set win that went late into the afternoon.

Richard Wang, Crescent Valley

Wang came up just short in one of the most hotly contested finals matches of the day on Saturday in his runner-up finish in Class 5A. Harris also picked up a big upset over Caldera’s Aiden Cruz in the semifinals (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) before falling to Wang in the finals (6-4, 5-7, 6-3).

EJ Roedl, Marist Catholic

The Spartan sophomore cruised in the Class 4A/3A/2A/1A state championships last week, not giving up a single set in the tournament after winning both his first matches 6-0, 6-0. His finals win over Catlin Gabel freshman Zareh Gonzalvo was quick, as he won 6-1, 6-2.

— Nik Streng, nstreng@oregonian.com, @NikStreng