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Miles with his Championship medal Photos sourced: Ingham Tennis Association
By Victoria Velton
For young Ingham-grown tennis player Miles Dahlstrom the 2026 season was a journey of steady improvement against tough competition, but that hard work paid off in a big win, when Miles took the trophy as the 2026 North Region U11 Tennis Champion.
The season took Miles all over Queensland, from representing Herbert River at school trials to stepping onto the state stage in Brisbane.
There were wins, close losses and tournaments where the trophy remained just out of reach, but each competition provided another opportunity for the young player to develop his game.
It all began in March when Miles competed at the Ayr Tennis Association JDS doubles tournament. While the focus was on doubles, Miles also made his mark in the singles competition, winning all but one of his matches.
The Ingham Tennis Association noted at the time that Miles had demonstrated “huge improvements” in his game, despite not coming away with a trophy.
Just weeks later, Miles travelled to Townsville for the Carmichael FORD Kalynda Chase Junior Championships, where he competed in the U12 events. Facing strong opponents from different centres, the tournament gave Miles another chance to test himself against a variety of playing styles and gain valuable experience- but alas, the trophy eluded him yet again.
In May, Miles represented Herbert River alongside fellow Ingham State School student Macie at the North Queensland region schools tennis trials.
Competing in the U12 boys division, Miles finished fifth and earned a place as a shadow player for the North Queensland team. For a young player still developing his game, it was another opportunity to experience the pathway from local school tennis through to regional competition.
“It meant a lot to me to be able to go and represent my district in tennis. When I played in the NQ trials in Home Hill for Herbert River, I was really hoping to make the team so I was a bit sad that I didn’t make the NQ team on the day and only made shadow player. So I was really excited when mum told me that she got an email saying that I had a spot on the NQ U12 team,” said Miles.
Miles continued his season with the Home Hill Super in June, competing in Division 3. This time, he came remarkably close to taking the title, finishing second by just one game. It was another result that showed how skilled in competition Miles was becoming, with the narrow margin providing further motivation as the season continued.
The following month brought another major opportunity when Miles travelled to Brisbane to compete in the U12 State Tennis Championships. Against strong competition from across the state, the results did not go his way, but he came home to much praise for his sportsmanship throughout the competition.
“He had done his school, club and region proud,” said the Ingham Tennis Association.
By September, Miles had spent months competing, learning and gradually building his confidence. His next challenge was the finals tournament at Ayr Tennis Association, where he entered the U11 boys competition.
Miles made the perfect start, winning all three of his matches in his group and earning his place in the play-off, with the result set to determine whether he would claim the number one position.
“I was feeling really confident. I got to play against my friend Billy from Townsville. We’ve always had close matches but I came out on top winning 6-0, 6-0,” said Miles.
The following day, Miles left it all on the court.
He secured the title of 2026 North Region U11 Tennis Champion, bringing together a year of work that had taken him from early-season improvement to regional and state-level competition, close finishes and increasingly strong performances.
While the championship is now the headline achievement of Miles’ 2026 season, his journey throughout the year has been a strong progress as each match gave him another opportunity to compete, learn, build skills and develop as a player.
“I’m most proud of my progress through 3 ability levels from green ball at the start of the year through to division 3 green ball by the end. I’m particularly proud of how my serve has developed,” said Miles.
From Ayr and Townsville to Home Hill and Brisbane, Miles has continued to push himself in situations that challenge him. And now, after a season of building his game one match at a time, Miles has a regional championship to show for it.
For a young player still at the beginning of his tennis journey, the trophy may have arrived in September, but the journey towards it gave him the steps to climb to the top of the regional podium.
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