Don’t fix what isn’t broken, right? Well according to the Millard North Boys Varsity Tennis team, that’s exactly what should be done. Seniors Ben Starman and Nicholas St. Onge ended their last season as the 3rd team in Nebraska. Then, this year the award-winning duo was spilt up. “With their talent level, they can play singles and/or doubles. They have taken on the singles spots and have worked hard to put themselves in a great position this year,” boys tennis head coach Josh Raymond said. He isn’t wrong; the team’s record of 7-1 at duals and five first place finishes at tournaments makes this year a successful one. The change, although unexpected, has clearly not harmed the players’ enthusiasm for the sport. “That [change] wasn’t really up to me as much as it was the coach, but either way I still enjoy it. It’s new,” St. Onge said. The two showed just how comfortable they’ve become with their new events at metro, in which Ben Starman was No. 1 in Singles. He won metros by defeating Papillion-La Vista sophomore Ethan Neil in a grueling two and a half hour final match. “I was thinking ahead to the end of the match. I’m not supposed to do that,” Starman said in an article in Omaha.com. “Today I was just trying to figure out the next point. I had to play well because Ethan was playing really well. I just stayed aggressive and made my shots.” Nick St. Onge was top seed until he was defeated by Omaha Westside freshman Josh Rosenblatt in the finals. As for the team, the boys have been practicing every weekday after school to get ready for state, along with conditioning and practice outside of school hours. “[The seasons has] actually been pretty exhausting. I’ve just been waiting for state pretty much,” Starman said. Raymond predicts all the hard work will pay off. “[I expect the season to be] better – as all of my players have grown to be better student athletes and they keep on working harder and harder to achieve their goals,” Raymond said.. Although switching the tried and true lineup of the Millard North Boys Varsity Tennis team was a risk, the mixture of perseverance and respect that reverberates throughout the team could lead to a state championship.