Alexander Schoolsky has good reason to smile.

The Palmer Ridge High School tennis team member beat the No. 1 singles players from four local schools in the Pikes Peak Athletic Conference, securing the All-Conference Player of the Year for No. 1 singles, and 4A Tennis All-Conference.

The schools are Air Academy, Cheyenne Mountain, Discovery Canyon Campus and Lewis-Palmer. The award is the highest individual honor for a tennis player within their conference. It is regarded as the ultimate skills test because a singles player must defend and attack across the court alone.

Schoolsky learned of his selection during an Oct. 21 banquet at PRHS. The 6-foot-1 sophomore said he didn’t know what to expect, nor did he realize this was an honor for the top player.

“I was shocked and surprised. It means I’ve achieved a great deal more than I expected,” Schoolsky said of his selection.

“He picked up his first racquet at 6 years-old… A local retired high school coach invited kids in our neighborhood to come out to a free clinic he held on Sundays to try out tennis. Alexander seemed to like it, and the coach thought he had natural talent,” Alexander’s father, Owen Schoolsky said.

“When I was younger, my parents exposed me to soccer, football, swimming, diving,” Alexander said. “As I got older, I focused more on tennis. I also enjoy playing golf.”

Alexander’s mother, Nicole, said she and Owen attend most of their son’s matches.

“He’s a year ’round player, and we attend all his Universal Tennis Rating and U.S. Tennis Association matches,” she said.

Coach Charles Capek said it’s the first time in his 11 years at PRHS that a boys tennis team member captured the honor.

“For the past 5-6 years, Discovery Canyon and Cheyenne Mountain have dominated this award,” Capek said. “Alexander is a very dedicated, talented player, so it’s nice to see his hard work all year long result in this achievement.”

Schoolsky’s workout regime consists of practicing with players and working with available coaches.

“Prior to a match I have a regime that I try to follow – eating right, watching professional tennis and making sure my racquets are in the same order in my bag every time,” Alexander said.

For their part, Owen and Nicole provide Alexander with resources needed to elevate his game, be it attending matches or guiding him to reach out to practice players.

“We’ll talk about how he played after a match, and break down what was good and what could be improved,” Owen said.

Balancing school and his personal life while training was Alexander’s biggest obstacle when preparing for the No. 1 singles title, Alexander said. Preparing himself mentally and believing he can win, even when competing against a higher-ranked opponent, can be intimidating.

Competing against Pueblo West High School senior Jet Johnson, known for playing the No. 1 singles position, is Alexander’s most memorable match.

“I played my absolute best and fought really hard, but at the end of the day, I just couldn’t win the match,” Alexander said. “It was definitely a learning moment for me, and helped me take a second look at my game and what I needed to do to improve.”

Reflecting on his sports career, Alexander said playing varsity tennis as a freshman and sophomore singles player has been a great experience. He looks forward to playing the next two years and competing at State. Alexander plans to study civil engineering and architecture after graduation in 2028, and hopes to play college level club tennis.

“We’re very proud of Alexander’s accomplishments on the court and, more importantly, his character in how he interacts with his opponents with a positive attitude, whether he’s winning or losing a match,” Nicole said.