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Williamstown’s Austin Bosgraf signs with Fairmont St. tennis

By Aaron Lee 4 min read

WILLIAMSTOWN -- Williamstown senior Austin Bosgraf signed Monday to continue both his academic and athletic careers at Fairmont State University.

"It feels really good. I have been ready to know where I want to go for a long time. The college application process is a big workload, so I was happy to finally have somewhere I was looking forward to," said Bosgraf after committing to the Fighting Falcons.

The Yellowjacket is fresh off of reclaiming the state tennis title with his teammates for the third time in four years.

Returning to team glory was the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication, "It was one of the biggest things that I wanted personally, having lost my junior year. I think all the guys, it kinda left a bad taste in our mouths. I've gotta give credit to the rest of the team, they put in a lot of work in the offseason. We've all been good friends for a long time, and it was nice to go out on top."

Bosgraf's list of accomplishments in his time at Williamstown are extensive, and include seven state championships. In addition to the three team titles he was a part of, Bosgraf was a member of a state-winning doubles pair for three consecutive years from 2021-2023. He completed the triple crown with a singles championship in 2023. The soon-to-be Fighting Falcon also earned all-state honors in each of his four years as a Yellowjacket.

The strength of Fairmont State's tennis program as well as the presence of some familiar faces drew Bosgraf to the university. "I felt like I had a lot of room to grow there. They really pursued me hard, and that made me feel good about how much they were willing to invest in me. At the same time, they're a strong program, ranked in the top 50 in division II."

In addition to having a roster filled with experienced players that can aid in Bosgraf's development, some of those upperclassmen already have a relationship with him.

"(Having) the opportunity to play with some guys that I really looked up to, Seena Saadevandi and Jacob Boone, they both played for PHS. They've always been mentors to me. When I was younger and just starting to play, I was thinking, 'Man, I want to be able to play like them," explained Bosgraf.

With family currently in the field, Bosgraf plans to major in business administration while playing for Fairmont State.

"Academically, Fairmont State has one of the nicest campuses in the state. The facilities are all really nice. At some colleges, you feel like you're just a number, and it wasn't like that when I toured Fairmont State. Everyone I met there was invested in giving me the best experience possible, even if it was finding my best fit at another school."

The thing Bosgraf will cherish most from his time at Williamstown are the small moments with teammates and friends, "Some of the biggest memories I'll remember were just hanging with the guys. Some people might think it's all about what happens on the court, but I think the memories you remember most are the little things like bus rides, the hotels and the restaurants."

He was sure to thank all those who were a part of this process, "I want to thank all my coaches that helped me get there. I've had a few diff coaches and they've all helped me in diff ways. I felt like I had the best coach at the right time. Every different coach was the right one for my progression. I'm also thankful for my family, my parents, my grandparents, they help pay for tournaments when we travel. They always stay with me wherever we go. I've always appreciated them and they are always positive. It's common in tennis for people to face pressure from their families, and I was appreciative that they've never done that."

"It's just exciting to start this next chapter. College tennis is on the rise, and I hope people can continue to get more excited about it," He concluded.

Contact Aaron Lee at alee@newsandsentinel.com

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