Ramapo’s Jonathan Carcione Selected as Boys Tennis State Player of the Year

After putting together the best of the year of his junior tennis career, the local tennis critics are starting to take notice of Franklin Lakes’ Jonathan Carcione.

The rising senior at Ramapo High School went undefeated during the spring tennis season on his way to winning the state championships, leading to the Star-Ledger voting him as the Boys tennis state player of the year for 2011.

“This was definitely the best year of my high school career so far,” said Carcione, who has gone 95-2 in three seasons on the Ramapo tennis team.

Carcione not only went 33-0 during this season, but didn’t even drop a set in any of his matches. In the final of the state championships, he gained revenge against Michael Lippens of Shore Regional (who had beaten him in a tournament the previous summer) winning six of the final seven games on his way 7-5, 6-2 victory.

The overall improvement in his game is largely a result of the work that Carcione has put in with longtime coach John Costanzo, who has been working with him since the age of 10.

“My serve got a lot better over the last year, as well as my ability to transition into the net during points,” said Carcione.

Carcione said that the biggest change in his game has come on the backhand, which ultimately removed a potential chink in his armor that cost him the state title last year.

“My backhand was a liability last year, without question,” said Carcione. “Especially hitting my backhand cross-court in the finals, I felt like I was able to stay in the points longer and didn’t allow him to play his game. If I won or lost, it was going to be on my terms.”

Carcione, who is currently ranked No. 9 in the east coast for the boys 18-and-under division, has a busy tournament schedule ahead of him this summer. He will be playing in several major junior events including the National Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach, F.L., and the National Hard Court Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich. The winner of the latter will receive a wild card into the main draw of the men’s singles event this summer at the US Open.

In addition, Carcione will be narrowing down his college choices in the coming months. He is looking to play tennis at an Ivy League school and has been in talks with some of the coaches at these universities.

“I’ve heard from several of them that they plan to watch me play at various events this summer,” said Carcione. “I haven’t made a final decision yet, but I’m primarily looking at Ivys as of now.”