By Jaxson Miller

West Fargo Sheyenne senior Ethan Raan is on top of the North Dakota high school tennis world after he claimed the singles championship on Saturday, October 8, at Hammond Park in Minot.

Raan defeated Grand Forks Red River’s Espen Schneider in the final round of the NDHSAA (North Dakota High School Activities Association) Boys Tennis Singles State Tournament.

Raan is the first player to win an individual state championship for the Sheyenne boys’ tennis program.

“It was very rewarding to bring the boys’ tennis program at Sheyenne its first state title and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates” Raan said. “Coach Anderson and Coach Healy have always set high standards for the team and encouraged hard work, and I feel that my success is a direct product of that.”

He redeemed himself against Schneider in a third set tiebreaker, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Schneider defeated Raan 6-2 and 6-4 in the EDC (Eastern Dakota Conference) singles championship just a week prior.

Ethan Raan had nothing but a humble attitude towards his state championship opponent, “In regards to Espen, my opponent, it was our fifth time playing against each other this season and at this point we were 2-2. He’s a great tennis player and I enjoy playing competitors like him.” Raan was able to get the last laugh.

Ethan Raan went into the state tournament as the number two seed player from the East region.

He started off with a great win (6-0, 6-1) over Bismarck’s Gabe Hanson in the first round and got the chance to play his Sheyenne teammate, junior Mason Christensen, in the quarterfinal round.

Raan defeated Christensen 6-4, 6-4, to move onto the semifinal round.

He had a blast playing against his teammate in a match that had a lot on the line, “Playing Mason in the quarterfinals was great because it meant we had both been successful in the rounds prior” Raan said. “We had fun playing each other and continued to support each other in the matches that followed. He’s a great player and teammate and I can’t wait to see where next season takes him.”

Raan continued his state title run with a semifinal win over Grand Forks Red River’s Saylor Kuenzel, capturing a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
The journey to the mountain top was complete with the win over Schneider in the final round.

The EDC players came to play at the state tournament as Ethan Raan was in the mix of seven players from Sheyenne, Fargo South, Fargo North, and Fargo Davies, who were either in the championship or consolation semifinals.

Grand Forks Central’s Evan Panzer and Cole Wilber won the doubles state championship over Mandan’s Karter Hatzenbuhler and Brady Helbling.

Raan was hungry for a state title this year as he was close to achieving one last year but lost in the single semifinals to Shanley’s Kai Pierce (3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4).

He finished last year’s season on a high note with a win (3-6, 6-1, 6-3) over Grand Forks Central’s Ryder McDonald in the third-place match.

Fortunately things turned out differently this year.

The state champion himself was extra motivated all season long, “I didn’t feel that I had to redeem myself after taking third place last year as I went out on a win and played great players in the semis and the third place match. If anything, I gained confidence from it and it encouraged me to work harder for my senior season.”

Due to his success, Ethan Raan was voted the 2022 Senior Athlete of the Year.

Sheyenne’s boys tennis team went 19-3 overall and 8-1 in conference play. The program took third place as a team in the state tournament.

Raan felt that the team’s success helped him create a champion mindest going into the state championship, “My mindset going into the state championship was it was now or never. It was my last match of my high school tennis career and for that reason I wanted to win for myself and for my team” he said.

With that mindset, Raan also felt no pressure, “Although I was very motivated to win, I was also grateful to have made it that far and felt fortunate to have the opportunity. With the team qualifying for state, it had already been a great season that I and my teammates were proud of. So I went into the match feeling no pressure.”

One of the best things an athlete can do is finish their high school career on a high note, and go out with a bang, and Ethan Raan did just that. The young man has a bright future ahead of him.

Raan spoke about his future plans, “I plan on playing tennis in college in some capacity, whether it’s for a college team or club team. It all depends on what school I attend. At the moment, I’m interested in studying astrophysics/astronomy and aerospace engineering and aspire to have a career in a space-related field.”

It is safe to say that the Mustang faithful is very proud of Ethan Raan. He will look to have more success this spring, which will be his final high school track season.

Raan is an explosive, fast-twitch athlete, who will qualify for state in the 100m and 200m dashes once again along with being on the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.

One thing is for certain, Ethan Raan’s tennis state title run is something he will remember for the rest of his life.