The sophomore sibling duo from San Diego City College, Hunter and Thomas Lynch, have been ruling the tennis court since joining the Knights last year, helping the team win their first conference championship since 2017.
The brothers are driven to fulfill the same result this year, striving to achieve higher and supporting each other on the court.
“Dynamic lately has been really well,” Hunter said. “We’ve been communicating well with each other. (I) really enjoy playing with him.”
The Knights would go on to win their second consecutive Inland Empire Athletic Conference championship, with Hunter and Thomas ending with 8-4 in doubles and winning their respective singles matches against Mt. San Jacinto on March 25 at the Odus Morgan Tennis Center.
City’s men’s tennis coach Brandon Lupian has worked to help the twins improve their family ties on the court.
“We win this match, we clinch the conference undefeated,” Lupian said during their game against Mt. San Jacinto. “With that philosophy, good things have happened for us so far.”
Hunter and Thomas embody the meaning of family when it comes to supporting their team, sharing a bond with their teammates that the twins had with each other before becoming Knights.
“I like to support him,” Hunter said. “My brother’s like my best friend, so I like to see him do good.”
Lupian looks back on his own relationship with his brother, recalling how the connection between him and his brother was much different than the twins.
“Even though we’re brothers, there’s a coaching dynamic, head coach and player dynamic, that that was interfered with our sibling bond,” Lupian said. “(The twins) have that tight sibling bond, and I’ve always tried to instill an environment of family togetherness, being able to trust each other.”
The Lynch brothers were named to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association of California Community College Athletic Association’s All-American team in 2025, placing as the fourth-ranked duo of the state.
The twins are the second and third individuals from City College to be named in the All-American team since 2017, according to the Knights athletics department.
Additionally, the City Knights Instagram page announced that Hunter Lynch was named Inland Empire Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
“We’re in a great position, because we have been at our best when we need to,” Lupian said. “We’re not perfect. But you know, as long as I know these guys have given me their all, given themselves their all, then there’s not much I could be frustrated with.”
With the twins showcasing their strong bond on and off the court, the idea of family strengthens the Knights, something that has always been a big part of what coach Lupian brings to his athletes.
“Knights on three, family on one, and we always end on one,” Lupian said. “That’s for one family, not six different families on six different courts. We’re one family pulling for each other.”
The men’s tennis team will compete against the Ventura Pirates in the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional quarterfinals on April 7, at 2 p.m. at Ventura College.
This story was edited by Tresean Osgood and Nadia Lavin.
