Tennis is a sport of grit and determination, and the 1966 Hamilton Boys Tennis Team proved to West Michigan that they were made of it.
By Carter Hickok
10/28/26
Going into the 1966 season, the Hawkeyes Boys Tennis Team had yet to win a Regional championship, and the boys were going to change that. But many people, including some of the team, had no expectations; the fans were used to the mediocre team the Hamilton Boys Tennis has always had. Little did they know that this team would lay the foundation for the teams to come.
The season started hot for the Hawkeyes as they beat West Ottawa 5-2, and they kept that momentum going throughout the season, starting with a spotless record by beating Wayland, Middleville, Caledonia, and Coopersville.
The boys lost their first match against Allegan and then, right after, lost to Zeeland in a close 2-3 match. For many Tennis players, this slump would stick with them for the rest of the season, but the Hawkeyes responded by winning four of their next six games, ending the season with a 9-4 record along with a conference championship.
Wayne De Zwaan and Groy Kaper solidified themselves as the captains of the team, each having a record of 13-1 in the regular season.
In the regional championship, the Hawkeyes played Muskegon Christian, a powerhouse of a tennis program at that time, and ended up defeating them by a score of 13 to 8 ½.
Although Hamilton struggled at state later that year, they proved that they were better than anyone expected and paved the way for the years to come. They showed that with a little grit and determination, anything is possible. This is the foundation that even today the boys’ tennis team leans on.
