Future bright for BE boys’ tennis

The Bishop England High School boys’ tennis team came up short in its bid for a 13th state title when the Battling Bishops were on the wrong end of a 5-1 decision to A.C. Flora High School in the Class AAAA championship.

 

But the future is bright – very bright – if the Class AAAAA-AAAA state individual championships are any indication.

 

The Bishops were the only school in that classification to have two players earn all-state honors: Dante Nava and Roland Weir.

 

Nava’s performance in the individual championships was impressive and unique. Nava, an eighth grader, was the youngest player in the Class AAAAA-AAAA bracket and the only middle schooler to earn all-state in the tournament, which was contested May 19-20 at the Lexington County Tennis Complex.

 

His progress this season was remarkable. He won only two matches last spring as a seventh grader but was undefeated in Region 6-AAAA competition this spring. He was a big reason why the Bishops posted a 14-2 record and competed for a state title for the 24th time.

 

Weir, who will be a senior on coach Kristin Fleming Arnold’s squad in 2026, survived some challenging matches to win the consolation bracket to finish in fifth place.

 

“Both Dante and Roland faced scorching conditions with temperatures soaring above 90 degrees over two days of intense competition,” Fleming Arnold said.

 

“Both athletes rose to the occasion. Out of the 12 players who earned all-state in the Class AAAAA-AAAA brackets, 10 players were from Class AAAAA,” she said. “That makes our (all-state) recognition all the more remarkable.”