2026 Clutch Sports Media All-Area Boys Tennis Team: 38 Central Illinois athletes earn honors

The 2026 boys tennis season in Central Illinois featured a mix of familiar stars and talented new players ready to emerge.

Nearly three dozen players from the Peoria and Bloomington/Normal area qualified for the IHSA State Finals, where Dunlap and Metamora led the way by tying for fourth in Class 1A after going back and forth as two of the top teams in the area all season long. Both teams featured deep lineups and several all-state selections, including Metamora’s Tommy Sopko and Weston Lange who finished fourth in Class 1A doubles.

Along with those two schools, Normal Community and Normal U-High also won sectional titles and sent multiple players to state. The Ironmen and Pioneers were part of a Bloomington/Normal that had plenty of depth too with four Intercity schools having multiple state qualifiers.

The top players from both areas are brought together on Clutch Sports Media’s 2026 Boys Tennis All-Area Teams, which feature a total of 38 honorees. 

Clutch Sports Media will also have a Coach of the Year and a Boys Tennis Player of the Year, which will both be announced shortly. All of the All-Area honorees below on each team are listed in alphabetical order. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area First Team

Phillip Haning, junior, Bloomington

Haning made a strong case for being the top player in Bloomington/Normal and qualified for state for the third straight season. The Bloomington junior won the Class 1A Bloomington Sectional singles title before winning three matches and advancing to the fourth round of the consolation bracket at the Class 1A State Finals. Hanging posted a 44-11 record with his top finishes including winning the No. 3 doubles flight at the Eugene Hill Invitational, taking second in No. 2 doubles at the Big 12 Conference Tournament and placing third in the No. 1 singles flight at the conference tournament. 

Ethan Klemens, senior, Dunlap

Klemens made the jump from being a third-team all-state player to a first team all-stater in his senior year. The Dunlap senior went 39-10 and was part of the Eagles No. 1 doubles tandem with Harmin Patel that went 4-2 at the Class 1A State Finals and reached the consolation bracket semifinals. That group also won the Mid-Illini No. 1 doubles title, leading Klemens to be named a first team all-conference selection.  

Ethan Laclef, sophomore, Dunlap

Laclef handled the jump from Dunlap’s freshmen/sophomore team to being one of its top varsity players. After placing second in the Mid-Illini Conference tournament, the first team all-conference sophomore won the Class 1A Geneseo Sectional singles title. From there, he helped Dunlap achieve a fourth place finish at the Class 1A State Finals by going 3-2 and advancing to the fourth round of the consolation bracket. Laclef finished his campaign with a record of 38-7.

Weston Lange, senior, Metamora

Lange was a major factor in Metamora’s strong season where it won the Mid-Illini regular season title and finished fourth in Class 1A. The senior went 52-5 and partnered with Tommy Sopko in doubles as the tandem finished fourth at the Class 1A State Finals. Lange and Sopko won the Class 1A LaSalle-Peru Sectional doubles title, as well as the No. 1 doubles crown at Bloomington’s Purple and Gold Invite. Lange went a perfect 13-0 without dropping a set in singles play as a senior and finished his varsity career with 152 total wins.

Daniel Nathan, sophomore, Richwoods

Nathan remained one of the area’s top players as a sophomore while advancing deep into the Class 2A State Finals. The Richwoods standout won the Class 2A Richwoods Sectional singles title and finished second in No. 1 doubles at the Big 12 Conference Tournament with doubles partner Sean McGary. Nathan, who won the No. 1 singles flight at the Pekin Invitational, went 2-2 at state and advanced to the fourth round of the consolation bracket at state. He finished his campaign with a record of 28-4. 

Tommy Sopko, senior, Metamora

Sopko won a whopping 53 matches in a standout senior season, propelling Metamora to its winningest campaign in program history. He and double partner Weston Lange garnered all-state honors by finishing fourth at the Class 1A State Finals and helping the Redbirds finish fourth as a team as well. Sopko won the Mid-Illini Conference singles title and took his third straight sectional doubles title in as many years with his third different partner. Sopko went 19-1 in singles play, 34-4 in doubles and did not lose to a Central Illinois opponent all season. He racked up 152 total wins during his career. 

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Second Team

Evan Henneberg, junior, Normal Community

Henneberg was one of the main reasons why Normal Community won the Big 12 Conference championship, as well as the Class 2A Richwoods Sectional title. The Ironmen junior, who went 39-7 on the year, paired with Will Rinkenberger in doubles and helped the tandem finish second at sectionals and reach the third round of the consolation bracket at the Class 2A State Finals. The duo won the No. 1 doubles flight at the Big 12 Conference Tournament and Henneberg finished as the runner-up in No. 2 singles. He also won singles and doubles titles at the Eugene Hill Invitational and a singles title at Bloomington’s Purple and Gold Invitational. 

Dane Hutchison, senior, Metamora

Hutchison helped make up a lethal senior trio for Metamora as a first team all-Mid Illini selection. He teamed with doubles partner Hunter Poole during the postseason and they finished second at the Class 1A LaSalle-Peru Sectional behind their teammates Sopko and Lange. Hutchison and Poole went 4-2 at state, advancing to the consolation quarterfinals and earning second team all-state honors. A four-time state qualifier and a three-time first team all-conference honoree, Hutchison went 43-8 on the year and finished his career with 149 wins. 

Dresden Michel, freshman, Dunlap

Michel established himself as the future of Dunlap’s perennially strong program as a freshman. Michel went 34-10 in his first varsity season and went 2-2 at the Class 1A State Finals, advancing to the third round of the consolation bracket. He finished second at the Class 1A Geneseo Sectional behind teammate Ethan Laclef and was a first team all-Mid Illini selection.

Harmin Patel, senior, Dunlap

Patel primarily played singles for his sophomore and junior seasons before becoming a strong doubles player for Dunlap in his senior year. Patel, who went 37-11 on the year, and Ethan Klemens dominated in doubles play by winning the Mid-Illini Conference Tournament and Class 1A Geneseo Sectional, aiding the Eagles in winning both events as a team. Patel was a first team all-conference selection and a first team all-state honoree after he and Klemens reached the Class 1A consolation semifinals. 

Hunter Poole, sophomore, Metamora

Poole was one of the state’s winningest players in 2026, finishing 50-8 while earning all-conference and all-state laurels. He and doubles teammate Dane Hutchison finished second at the Class 1A LaSalle-Peru Sectional before making a run to the consolation quarterfinals at state to earn second team all-state status. A first team all-Mid Illini honoree, Poole went 25-2 in singles with both losses coming in three sets, plus 25-6 in doubles. His 50 wins set an all-time sophomore record at Metamora and brings his high school record to 70-18 through two seasons.

Will Rinkenberger, senior, Normal Community 

Rinkenberger closed out his prep career with a solid campaign where he went 39-11 and reached the third round of the consolation bracket at the Class 2A State Finals with doubles partner Evan Henneberg. The tandem took second at the Class 2A Richwoods Sectional and first at No. 1 doubles in the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Rinkenberger added a fourth-place showing in No. 1 doubles at the conference tournament.

Clutch Sports Media All-Area Honorable Mention

Vikhyath Ande, senior, Bloomington

Ben Angelov-Ritter, freshman, Normal West

Cooper Behrends, sophomore, Pekin

Bryce Boester, senior, Normal U-High

Tate Darcy, senior, Morton

Ian Durst, senior, Peoria Christian

Jonathan Farinas, junior, Bloomington Cornerstone 

Ansh Gupta, senior, Normal U-High

Hayes Hafner, junior, Normal Community 

John Jones, sophomore, Metamora

Parker Kim, sophomore, Normal U-High

Joal Larson, senior, Morton 

Noah Lippens, junior, Dunlap

Samuel Loeb, senior, Peoria Christian

Parker Martin, sophomore, Normal U-High

Sean McGary, junior, Richwoods

Akshu Peleti, junior, Normal Community

Matthew Poole, sophomore, Metamora

Dominik Povilaitis-Delanois, sophomore, Bloomington

Max Roosa, junior, Morton 

Charlie Schermerhorn, senior, Washington

Dane Schlipmann, senior, Normal West

Ian Shin, senior, Normal U-High

William Song, senior, Dunlap

Kace Tyler, sophomore, Richwoods

Alessandro Zocco, senior, Bloomington