Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Ramsey Bernard's resume as a tennis player speaks for itself.

A state championship at No. 3 singles as a freshman. A third-place finish as a sophomore, and a second-place finish as a junior at No. 2 singles.

Now, as Bernard heads into his senior season at Steamboat Springs High School, he may have put himself in position as the man to beat at No. 1 singles in Class 4A.

Bernard is ranked the No. 1 Colorado boys tennis player in the 18-and-under division by the United States Tennis Association.

"It's nice to see all the time I've put into it pay off," Bernard said Wednesday before heading to Texas for a national tournament. "I don't really place that much emphasis on it, but it's cool to have."

Bernard, who lost in last year's state championship match to Cheyenne Mountain's Brad Young in three sets, said his summer has been filled with tournaments across the Front Range.

Along with playing sectional tournaments in Denver, Bernard has traveled to Boise, Idaho, for an Intermountain tournament as well as the upcoming national tournament in Texas.

For Bernard, the busy schedule has helped on two fronts. It should help him prepare to play his first season at No. 1 singles and also give him ample opportunity to get a college scholarship - something he said he's been pursuing since age 10.

"All around, I haven't backed off with how much I've been playing," Bernard said. "I just want to push it as hard as I can until I decide on college."

John Aragon, who coaches the high school tennis team, said after last year's loss in the championship match against Young, he's seen a different Bernard.

"With that loss down there, he's hungry now," Aragon said. "I think he mostly set some goals. We've always had a plan, and as a coaching staff, we see he's starting to buy into it and believe in it."

Bernard said he's become a more complete player this summer. Along with working on his service and backhands, Bernard said his volley game is much improved, allowing him to attack more instead of "just waiting for stuff to happen."

With the high school season still two months away, Bernard said he plans to play more tournaments and work as a counselor at a tennis camp in Greeley.

Aragon believes work will make Bernard a top-four singles player next year in Class 4A. With that, Aragon said, Bernard just might add another state championship to his resume.

"The thing with No. 1 singles is there are a lot of solid players," Aragon said. "But he's capable of beating anyone out there."