by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
After a successful freshman season, Johnny Parkes will be one of the keys to the UNM men's tennis team's success this spring.
Parkes has all the qualities of a good tennis player, UNM head coach Alan Dils said.
"Johnny's a good athlete, No. 1 - a great competitor," Dils said. "He's not afraid to get in there and mix it up and be very tough and aggressive. He's also very fast. He's probably one of the quickest guys we have on the team."
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The expectations for Parkes are high this season,
Dils said.
"Last year, even as a freshman, Johnny did well within conference," Dils said. "He went 4-2 in conference at No. 2 (singles). I would expect him to do similar to that or better. If we are going to be successful as a team, he'll have to
do that."
Parkes finished the 2006 spring season 22-13 in singles, tying for the most wins on the team.
His 22 wins were the most by any freshman in the Mountain West Conference, earning him MWC Freshman of the Year, as well as the Freshman of the Year title for the
region. He was also named to the all-MWC team for
singles.
Parkes said he plans to top those accolades this year.
"I hope to do better than last year," he said. "I had a solid season, but this year, I hope to maybe get into the rankings. I just want to notch up the wins for the team. That's what it's all about."
In the fall, Parkes posted an 8-6 record in singles and showed his versatility as a doubles player.
"I thought he had a slow start in the fall and picked it up toward the end of last semester," Dils said. "Right now, he is playing the best I've seen him play. His game is looking pretty good."
Two weeks into the spring schedule, he shows no signs of regressing. The sophomore is off to a 3-1 start, including wins over Purdue, Western Michigan and Brigham Young.
The BYU win was extra special, Dils said.
"We played BYU, and Johnny beat a guy that he lost to last semester," he said. "That's a great sign that he's improved and is playing confident."
Parkes teams up with Miles Bugby to produce solid results, and the duo has produced a 3-2 record thus far.
Parkes is as focused on school as he is on tennis. The sophomore - who was an MWC All-Academic honoree last season - plans to major in undergraduate studies with a minor in athletic coaching.
"In the future, I'd obviously like to see how far tennis goes," he said. "I'd like to become a coach one day as well because I love the sport."
Aside from personal successes, Parkes emphasizes the strength of the team.
"This year, we have really added to the squad," Parkes said. "There is no real superman on the team. It's all like a unit, one through six."
Parkes said the team has what it takes to win the MWC Championship.
"We are training as hard as we can during every training session," he said. "We all plan to work together to get us through conference and hopefully bring home the title this year."
Men's tennis vs. Nebraska
Today, 6 p.m.
Lobo Tennis Club
