


When the postseason rolls around for the Weston boys’ tennis team the Wildcats have already gone up against a number of the top-ranked teams in the area. Playing in the brutally tough Dual County League also gets George Conlin’s squad battle ready for the postseason.
So by the time the Wildcats got on the MIT courts Sunday they were ready for another state crown.
The No. 1 Wildcats won their second consecutive Div. 4 title and sixth state title in a row with a convincing 5-0 decision over No. 3 Lynnfield (19-2). Weston finished a perfect 21-0 on the season.
Max Ding did his job by setting the tone for the Wildcats with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Weston never looked back after that.
“Taking No. 1 and having to prove myself this year was great,” said Ding. “I tried to do what a No. 1 player does by winning. Your team looks to you and you’re kind of leading the whole team.”
Downpours forced the teams to move to the indoor courts at MIT, but proved to be more of a nuisance and wasn’t about to throw the Wildcats off their game. “We were one ball away from finishing our warmups (before the rain) so it was tough to wait for an hour,” said Ding.
From that point Weston rolled. Zach Regelman won in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) and the top two doubles teams of Peter Chen and Winston Starrett, and Petar Stoganovic and Claus Hinck fueled the Wildcats to title six.
“This is our back-to-back at Div. 4,” said Conlin. “We decided to play more matches than we usually to. Lynnfield has improved greatly. We play in the toughest league in the state and gives us good experience in the tournament.”