From his first match to his last during his senior year at Broomfield, Kai Trujillo maintained his focus on one mantra that eventually carried him to a No. 1 singles state crown.
He didn’t have anything to lose.
He leaned on that determination in his Class 5A state semifinal match last month when, after dropping the first set to Denver East’s Trevor Hajek at Denver City Park, he stormed back to dominate the next two to secure his spot in the coveted final match.
Grandview’s Justin Son didn’t stand a chance in the title contest. Trujillo set the pace early on, leaning on an improved serve and heightened aggression at the net, to bury him in straight sets. He only allowed Son to claim five games.
“I just went in and I was like, ‘This is my last high school match ever, and I’m lucky enough to have it be the state championship,’” Trujillo said. “I was really nervous going into that match. I played him earlier this season and I lost in the third set at the Greeley tournament. Going into the match again, I was happy. I was glad that it was me and him, because we’re friends off the court too. I was glad that it was us together and if it was the final, that’s who I would want to play.”
The Daily Camera player of the year finished his final season at the summit of Colorado high school tennis, earning the lone local bid on CHSAA’s all-state teams, all while winning 20 of his 22 matches.
He attributed his meteoric rise, from a first-round exit as a junior to state champion as a senior, to a stronger mentality and general looseness on the court. He didn’t stress about the little inconveniences that a player can expect in any given match.
Trujillo just wanted to go out on a high note, all while finding ways to finesse his technique in real time.
“He’d go out and play great, whether it’s in practice or in a match, but he’d come back and talk about what he needed to fine-tune to be even better,” Broomfield head coach Gary Melillo said. “And even during the course of a match, when we would be coaching him, he’d be up in a match and winning, and he just wouldn’t settle for that.”
As for what’s next, Trujillo is still deciding whether or not he’ll continue to play tennis in college.
He spent much of the last two seasons serving as a mentor for his younger teammates, leading by example and offering encouraging words, tips and tricks. He exemplified the type of leader any coach dreams of, and Melillo said the Eagles will be better off for having Trujillo on the roster.
He believes that Trujillo will prosper, no matter where college life takes him.
“Kai’s success this year was the result of many years of dedication and effort to the sport, to his game,” Melillo said. “He’s someone who continuously works hard to improve and elevate his game, and he did that throughout his high school career. He’s very humble. I mean, he’s obviously an outstanding tennis player, but he’s very humble about it. He’s a great teammate.”