The John Jay Varsity Tennis team finished last year with a 7-5 record in match play. This is a record they look to improve on in 2017, as they return more than three quarters of last year’s team.

Jay will return seniors Alex van Lent, Stephen Simmes, and Noah Gold, which should give them an experienced base. They also have a very strong junior class, with returners Justin Sobel, Ben Feinstein, Kailas Amin, Dimitri Belessakos, Alex Ozols, and Travis Laub. Van Lent and Laub are among the team’s top singles players from last year, and will continue to highlight the Jay attack.

As for the underclassmen, Jay will only return on sophomore, Akshay Amin. Although, they will add eighth grader Oybeck Asarov, someone who has been raising the eyebrows of some of the upperclassmen. About Asarov, junior Justin Sobel said, “It’s incredible to have an eighth grader as talented as him. His season looks promising, even though he is still very young.”

Jay will also add senior Hayden Cassone, who chose not to play for the team last year. Cassone is one of the top players in the area, who competes in many tournaments, and will look to be highly competitive in Section 1 events this year. About Cassone, Sobel added, “He’s a great addition. He’s a really talented player, and probably the best on the team.”

Jay’s season looks promising, and with additions such as Asarov and Cassone, and returners such as Laub and Van Lent, they will look to make some noise this year. About the outlook, Sobel added, “Our team should have a great record this year, especially with our great core of players.”