It was a day for youth at the IHSAA Boys Tennis Individual State Finals as a two sophomores and a freshman came away with championship medals on Saturday at Five Seasons Sports Country Club in Indianapolis.

Carmel sophomore Rajeev Ram won two tiebreakers in a hotly contested match with Penn senior Troy Havens, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1) for the 20^th annual singles state championship. In the 10^th annual doubles tournament, the Center Grove pair of freshman Joe Epkey and sophomore John Stone claimed a 6-3, 6-4 title match victory from Lawrence Central seniors Chris Deter and Danny Donovan.

Ram, who became the first sophomore to win the state singles title since Center Grove's Bryan Smith in 1990, finished with a perfect 26-0 season. Ram became the third Carmel player to win the tournament joining Todd Witsken (1980) and Rick Witsken (1987, 1988). Ram had defeated Valparaiso junior Clint Keithley, 6-1, 6-3 to advance to the final match. Havens, who finished his year 27-1, took a 7-5, 6-3 decision from Homestead junior Ryan Recht in the other semifinal.

Recht (29-3) took a three-setter from Keithley (26-3) in the singles consolation match, 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (7-3), 6-3.

Epkey and Stone became the second doubles team from Center Grove to win the championship in the last three years joining Trojans Chad Stone and Andy Baker, who won it all in 1997. Epkey and John Stone, who finished 20-1, moved into the championship doubles match with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Goshen's Matt Shively and David Harms (29-4). Deter and Donovan (27-1) won the other semifinal with a default victory over Park Tudor's John Pearson and Reed Elder (14-2).

Bye: Ryan Recht (28-2), junior, Homestead.

Troy Havens (26-0), senior, Penn def. Tony Batuello (22-1), senior, Fort Wayne South Side, 6-4, 6-1.

Rajeev Ram (24-0), sophomore, Carmel def. Nathaniel Emge (23-2), sophomore, Evansville Day, 6-3, 6-0.

Bye: Clint Keithley (26-1), junior, Valparaiso.

Troy Havens (27-0), senior, Penn def. Ryan Recht (28-3), junior, Homestead, 7-5, 6-3.

Rajeev Ram (25-0), sophomore, Carmel def. Clint Keithley (26-2), junior, Valparaiso, 6-1, 6-3.

Rajeev Ram (26-0), sophomore, Carmel def. Troy Havens (27-1), senior, Penn, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-1).

Ryan Recht (29-3), junior, Homestead, def. Clint Keithley (26-3), junior, Valparaiso, 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (7-3), 6-3.

Joe Epkey, freshman/John Stone, sophomore, Center Grove (18-1) def. Brandon Pusey, senior/Jared Miller, senior, Twin Lakes (25-2), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Matt Shively, senior/David Harms, senior, Goshen (29-3) def. Danny Freeman, senior/Lawrence Lee, sophomore, West Lafayette (17-5), 6-2, 6-4.

Chris Deter, senior/Danny Donovan, senior, Lawrence Central (26-0) def. Drew Hoffer, senior/Robert Briscoe, junior, Floyd Central (21-2), 6-3, 6-2.

John Pearson, senior/Reed Elder, senior, Park Tudor (14-1) def. Michael Clark, senior/Matt Grabbe, senior, Princeton (22-3), 6-3, 6-1.

Joe Epkey, freshman/John Stone, sophomore, Center Grove (19-1) def. Matt Shively, senior/David Harms, senior, Goshen (29-4), 6-1, 6-3.

Chris Deter, senior/Danny Donovan, senior, Lawrence Central (27-0) def. John Pearson, senior/Reed Elder, senior, Park Tudor (14-2), by default.

Joe Epkey, freshman/John Stone, sophomore, Center Grove (20-1) def. Chris Deter, senior/Danny Donovan, senior, Lawrence Central (27-1), 6-3, 6-4.