John Preston is a two-sport athlete at Altus High School. The sophomore runs on the Bulldogs cross country team and competes on the Altus tennis squad. This season was Preston’s first year to run cross country but still managed to place in the top seven on the team each week.

Preston has played his favorite sport of tennis since the 7th grade. He typically plays doubles but will go into the postseason playing singles. He’s the No. 2 ranked singles player on the team and typically places in the top three at each tournament, according to coach Mark Dabelstein.

“John takes his game seriously and works very hard,” Dabelstein said. “He is constantly putting in more time outside of practice and hitting against our number one, which is making him better.”

Preston is an example of the type of commitment Dabelstein is looking for in his tennis players to make Altus tennis competitive once again.

“John has been willing to fill whatever role I’ve needed throughout the season,” Dabelstein said. “He is currently at No. 2 singles, but he has pretty much played anywhere I needed him to this year, which makes my job easier. He is a fantastic team player.”

Outside of athletics, Preston is a member of National Honor Society and participates in the youth group at his local church. Upon graduation, Preston wants to attend the University of Oklahoma to study pre-law.

“He is also a fantastic student, which is important in athletics,” Dabelstein said. “His calm confidence is the attribute I want all of my tennis players to have. I’m so proud of everything he has accomplished, and I pray he continues to work hard and improve.”

Preston credits his dad for his success in school and on the tennis court. In his spare time, Preston can be found fishing at Lake Altus.