John Preston, a tennis player and cross country runner at Altus High School, keeps busy.

“I am the treasurer for [Altus Teens Interact] Club and a member of National Honor Society. I am a baritone in the Varsity Chorale choir group. I have been in boys tennis throughout high school and cross country since my sophomore year,” Preston says. “My favorite things I like to do is play tennis, work out and work on my academics.”

Preston is expected to play in the No. 1 singles spot for Altus this year. He’s earned that much, Altus head coach Mark Dabelstein says.

“JP has been a four-year varsity starter for Altus tennis. He works on his game harder than anyone and has transformed himself into a very good athlete,” Dabelstein says. “He is coachable and willing to do whatever it takes to make us better. He also tries to help the younger guys on the team, which shows he cares about the culture he is leaving behind.”

“It is important to me because they are the future of the program. It is important for the older kids to set an example to the younger ones,” Preston says. “When I was a freshman, I had a good set of seniors that shaped the way I am in tennis.”

Preston is looking for a solid finish this spring.

“We lost four varsity members on the boys team, but we will go strong. I expect myself to play confident and I plan to make it to state,” Preston says.