The racquetball season provided moments of glory that hadn’t been seen in some time, and with only 14 graduating seniors and multiple top players returning, 2014-15 is poised to be even better.

More than 60 students participated in matches over the course of the season, the large majority being juniors and sophomores. “I am proud of this year,” coach Sanjay Bedi said during an end-of-the-year celebration.“We exceeded expectations.”

In some ways, 2013-14 was a milestone year for the team. Four boys and two girls finished in the top 20, doubling the number of players who finished in the top 20 in the previous year.

And then the highlight of them all: Junior Will Hoge and sophomore Gavin Usher were crowned as national doubles champions after months of practice. Both names will be painted on the side wall of the Multnomah Athletic Club championship court. The pair became the second duo to win nationals for Lincoln after Sam Reid and Elena Schaefer won the mixed doubles title back in 2012.

The team finished third at state,and sixth at nationals. Hoge topped the final rankings for boys by placing third,and senior Catherine Barton was the highest ranked girl at 11th.

“We’ll be solid next year,” Bedi said. “We can go far.”

With four of the top five boys and all but two girls returning, the team looks poised to improve on its final rankings. Gavin Usher summed it up by saying, “I can’t wait for next year.”