A year ago, Colten Mitchell wasn’t sure if he even belonged on the tennis court.
Now, after a breakout sophomore campaign, Mitchell has established himself not only as Columbia’s No. 1 player, but as a foundational piece in the team’s future.
Mitchell took the Tigers’ top spot in the lineup for the second straight year and made a big leap, going 8-10 in No. 1 singles and 9-9 in No. 1 doubles alongside partner Carson Etter, which included a season sweep over rival Suwannee. The team finished the season 13-5 as well, a stark improvement from last year’s 7-6 mark.
The biggest reason for the team’s jump was Mitchell, who made huge strides in No. 1 singles from last season’s 3-10 record. His record in doubles also improved alongside his new partner after he went 3-9 as a freshman.
For his work ethic and improvement this season, Mitchell has earned the honor of the LCR’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year.
“Last season I was just a freshman but didn’t really know what I was doing,” Mitchell said. “I definitely came back this year with more confidence because I knew how to play tennis at a higher level.”
Columbia coach Trudy Andrews has seen the transformation up close. She says one of his biggest improvements this season was Mitchell’s patience in matches.
“If he got down in a match, he didn’t panic,” Andrews said. “He stayed composed and worked hard to get back in the match and to do well. I think he just grew as a player and matured as a player.
Mitchell’s journey is all the more remarkable given where it started, having barely played competitive tennis prior to high school. What started as casual hitting sessions with his dad turned into a varsity career that kicked off unexpectedly — and ahead of schedule.
Before Mitchell’s arrival, the top of Columbia’s top spot in the lineup belonged to Nathan Chowdhury. That changed when Mitchell stunned even himself when he defeated Chowdhury to claim the No. 1 seed as a freshman.
“I was just really surprised because I had no real experience other than going to the courts every now and then,” Mitchell said. “I was excited, but I was also really scared for the season coming up.”
Mitchell’s rookie campaign was a trial by fire, with wins far and few between in singles and in doubles alongside then-partner Ethan Handsborough. But instead of letting the tough debut discourage him, Mitchell turned it into fuel.
He hit the offseason with a vengeance, entering USTA tournaments while seeking higher-level training. If he was going to improve, Mitchell knew he had to take it more seriously.
“Coming in it was kind of like, what am I doing?” Mitchell recalled. “I played my first match against a very high-level player, and I just realized I had to work so much harder than I’ve been doing. It was definitely a tough season, but it was a realization that I need to work really hard to get to where I want to be.”
Something else Mitchell did was search for a new doubles partner to replace Handsborough. Mitchell wanted to find someone who also had a big interest in tennis and that turned out to be Etter, who quickly gelled with Mitchell.
Their season began with a win against Ridgeview, which boosted their confidence.
“We have a lot of chemistry,” Mitchell said. “The first day we ever worked together, I knew I wanted him as my doubles partner just because he’s always so positive and upbeat. He keeps the team together.”
Andrews said the pair’s connection was built in the offseason, long before the matches began.
“They worked super hard in the offseason and just meshed,” Andrews said. “They complement each other on the court.”
In No. 1 singles, Mitchell spent the season staring down every school’s top talent. That included Suwannee’s Evan McMillan, who was last season’s LCR Player of the Year.
McMillan beat Mitchell twice a year ago, but Mitchell flipped the script this spring, posting two wins that included an epic 8-8 (8-6) tiebreaker victory on Suwannee’s Senior Night.
“That second match was insane,” Mitchell said. “I have no way of putting into words how good it felt to finally come through in that match…Last season he beat me (twice), so flipping the tables was great. I could actually see the progression now.”
The height of competition reached its pinnacle at the District 2-3A tournament, a field that included state runner-up Chiles and regional finalist Leon. But it was actually Arnold’s Evan Cox who stood in Mitchell’s way in the first round, a player who defeated him during the regular season.
While hoping for revenge, Mitchell came up short as his season came to a close. The loss, though, was a lesson moving forward.
“I definitely learned I need to use my feet more because playing soccer, my footwork has always been there, but I realized tennis is so much more than just hitting a ball,” Mitchell said. “Moving your feet is so crucial and I never really realized that until the end of this season coming into districts. Over the offseason I’ve been learning how to have different feet patterns to hit different balls, which I think was really just a big thing in that match.”
With two years still to go, Mitchell is far from finished. He’s already laid out goals for next season, including getting through districts, improving his serve, sharpening his footwork, and taking his doubles game with Etter to the next level.
“I want to raise my level as much as I can and just live up to my potential,” Mitchell said.