Concannon takes over CGA tennis

CULVER — Sam Concannon has been named the Culver Girls Academy head tennis coach, in hopes of creating a more competitive CGA tennis program.

Coach Concannon holds an impressive tennis resume as he enters his first season at the helm.

Concannon played on the CMA varsity team for four years (2012-2016), with three seasons serving as captain of the team.

He was named the Indy Sports Tennis Player of the Year in 201516 after leading his team to state quarterfinals and wining the individual state singles championship in 2015. A multi-sport athlete, Sam also played varsity basketball at CMA for three seasons.

Concannon has been serving as an assistant under CMA tennis coach Alan Loehr for the past two seasons. He played a key role in developing a young CMA tennis team to compete in state quarterfinals this past season.

“I’m looking to bring the coaching perspectives that

I’ve learned under Alan Loehr and Mark Galloway,” said Concannon. “Being a competitive person in general, I’m really looking forward to increasing the competitive environment by developing the right mindsets and attitudes towards practice. We will play as we practice, and the leaders on our team will have the opportunity to set their own expectations.”

A combination of senior leadership, talent, and consistency is drawing newfound attention to the program. Six starters return from the 2022 squad, led by seniors Quinn Vasquez, Sadie Barrett, Annabelle Curtis, and Kate Ngan.

This season, the CGA tennis program had 40 girls try out. This is likely due to the recent success of the CGA program. The girls are coming off two straight sectional championships and have won 15 of the last 17. They are also looking to capture their first regional title since 2014, the same year the team made its last state finals appearance.

The CGA tennis season begins on April 11 at Valparaiso High School. The home opener is April 15 against Laporte High School. The 2023 schedule features four pre-season top 20 teams, including the defending state runner up, South Bend St. Joseph.