Tigers finish fourth in Waterloo
The Red Oak Tigers girls tennis team closed out the 2012 regular season with a fourth place finish in the state team tennis tournament at Byrnes Park in Waterloo Saturday.
Red Oak lost the third place match in the afternoon to Dubuque Wahlert, 5-3.
“We’re leaving knowing we were able to compete,” Red Oak Tennis Coach Dan Martinez said. “We really had some great matches.”
Wahlert was able to jump out to a 4-2 lead after the singles matches, including three wins taking place during a third set super tiebreaker.
Zoey Baker and Erica Sherman had the first losses of the match against Wahlert. Baker lost to Emily Sullivan 6-1 and 6-3. Sherman won the first set against Mary Frickey 6-3, but would lose a second set tiebreaker 7-6 (8) and the third set tiebreaker 10-4.
Kate Walker picked up a win by defeating Kathleen Hutchinson 6-3 and 6-2, in No. 1 singles.
“She needed that,” Martinez said about Walker’s singles win. “She’s feeling a little down after losing that 11-9 (tie)breaker in the consolations of the individual tournament and I told her she just needed to keep playing, she’ll play herself out of it and I think she’s doing pretty good right now.”
Abbey Swanson was able to tie the match at 2-2 when she defeated Emily Oberhoffer 6-1 and 7-6 (6).
“I was very proud of her,” Martinez said about Swanson.
Swanson, a senior, has played virtually the entire season on varsity.
“I’m really proud of how we played all day,” Swanson said about Saturday’s state tournament matches.
Swanson wore a tennis hat during Saturday’s tournament, which featured a working clock. She found it in her grandfather’s possessions and wore it as tribute.
“Coach, he thought it was funny,” Swanson said.
Red Oak had opportunities to take the lead. Paige Vannausdle lost the first set to Courtney Schneider 6-4, but was able to come back and win the second set 6-1, forcing the third set super tiebreaker. Vannausdle lost the tiebreaker 10-4.
The final match was a volley marathon between Grace Blomstedt and Caroline Ott. All three sets went to a tiebreaker. The match lasted more than two hours. Blomstedt won the first set 7-6 (5), but lost set two and three 7-6 (4) and 1-0 (7).
Red Oak went into doubles needing to win all three of their matches to clinch third place. Baker and Swanson worked together to defeat Frickey/Oberhoffer 6-4 and 6-4.
Both Baker and Swanson agreed they have chemistry together and are both good friends.
“It really helped us in our doubles match,” Baker said.
Wahlert clinched the match when the team of Ott and Sullivan defeated Vannausdle and Sherman 6-3 and 6-2.
There was one other doubles team on the court. Walker, as well as Adrienne Mahoney, were in the midst of a first set tiebreaker with their opponents. There was no winner for the match. Mahoney said she had never been to the state tennis tournament, prior to this weekend.
“It was fun to actually get in and play,” she said.
Mahoney, an alternate, was a last minute replacement for Blomstedt, who was still recovering from her marathon match.
“I got better as it went on,” Mahoney said.
Martinez said he was proud of Mahoney coming in as a sub to compete in the doubles match.
“It was a tough position to come into,” Martinez said.
Earlier in the morning, Red Oak lost to Waterloo Columbus in the semifinals, 9-0. The match was not a first to five wins.
Walker lost to Lindsay McManus 6-1 and 6-0. Vannausdle had a 4-1 lead in both sets against Lindsay McGonegle, but lost 7-6 (1) and 7-5.
Blomstedt lost to Anne Nora 6-1 and 6-2, while Baker lost to Abby Greenwood 7-5 and 6-3. Ashlee Sinnott defeated Sherman 6-0 and 6-0 and Gabby Grego defeated Swanson 7-5 and 6-4.
In doubles, Walker and Blomstedt lost to McManus and McGonegle 6-0 and 6-4. Nora and Greenwood defeated Vannausdle and Sherman 6-1 and 6-1. Finally, Sinnott and Katie Letkewics defeated Baker and Swanson 6-0 and 6-2.
Red Oak finished fourth at last year’s state team tournament, also held in Waterloo.
Martinez said he’s disappointed the team didn’t win, but with the team returning many varsity players for next season, he’s encouraged for the team.
“You want to leave knowing you left it on the court and I think they did,” Martinez said about the team’s effort.
Individually, Kate Walker was eliminated from the state tennis tournament Thursday night. Walker lost in the consolation quarterfinals, in three sets, to Jenna Wilkinson of Independence.
“It was fun, it was a lot of fun just to be here and play,” Walker said.
Walker lost the first set to Wilkinson in a tiebreaker 7-6 (3). She soon trailed 3-0 in the second set. However, Walker rallied to win six straight games and force the third set super tiebreaker. Both players battled back and forth in the third set, but Wilkinson was able to take the lead late and win the tiebreaker 11-9.
“I came in against Jenna Wilkinson and I was not very happy with my performance,” Walker said.
Wilkinson lost in the semifinals and finished eighth at the state tournament, losing the seventh place match to Bishop Heelan’s Cassie Stanek.
Walker was sent to the consolation round when she lost in straight sets in the quarterfinals to Oskaloosa’s Amanda Stefanik, 6-4 and 6-2.
“I lost a good match to Stefanik. She’s a good player,” Walker said.
Stefanik lost in the semifinals to eventual state champion Jalyn Deering of Camance. Stefanik would finish fourth in the tournament.
Walker did pick up her first career state tournament win in the first round when she defeated Waterloo-Columbus’ Gabby Greco, 6-1 and 6-2.
Red Oak will have competitors Tuesday to take part in the COED doubles meet.