By Staff
HUTCHINSON – On Tuesday, the McPherson Middle School girls tennis team went on the road and competed in the eight-team Hutchinson Invitational and scored a first-place team finish while also winning three of the four singles division competition and two of the four doubles competition.
The Junior Lady Pups took first as a team with 60 points, just a single point ahead of runner-up Andover. Salina Lakewood with 38 and Prairie Hills with 37 rounded out the top four while host Hutchinson, Newton-Chisholm, Salina South, and Haysville West rounded out the competition.
“Today, the girls battled hard all day long,” said Junior Lady Pup head coach Paul Reichenberger. “In almost every championship, it was McPherson vs. Andover and our girls won just enough matches to get first place today!”
In the singles competition, McPherson went 14-2 on the day with Dragon Rodriguez, Ava Miller, and Breanna Sullivan all finishing unbeaten at 4-0 and winning the number two, three, and four singles divisions while Audra Sandbo finished third at number one singles.
According to coach Reichenberger, “In the tournament, almost every single eighth-grade girl got first place in their bracket. The eighth-grade class has really improved from when they first started playing as seventh graders.”
The tandem of Avery Unruh and Quinn Liebl finished the day 4-1 at number one doubles which was good for a first-place trophy while in number two doubles the duo of McKenna Paul and Piper Van Campen finished undefeated at 4-0 and also took first place.
Both the number three doubles of Emily Reno and Hayden Eveland, and the number four doubles duo of Anne-Marie Holmes and Sophia Boese took second place for the day.
“The day came down to the last championship match of the day in number one doubles,” noted coach Reichenberger. “In that match, Avery (Unruh) and Quinn (Liebl) were able to fight off a tough Andover team to earn first place in the bracket. If they had lost the match, the girls would have lost the tournament to Andover.”
Reichenberger concluded his post-invitational reflections by adding, “This year was actually the first time we have been able to win the Hutchinson Invitational since I have been coaching. These girls really love tennis, and I am very excited to watch them continue to grow as tennis players.”
MMS JUNIOR LADY PUPS at Hutchinson Invitational
Team Standings: 1. JUNIOR LADY PUPS 60; 2. Andover 59; 3. Salina Lakewood 38; 4. Prairie Hills 37; 5. Hutchinson 31; 6. Newton-Chisholm 22; 7. Salina South 20; 8. Haysville West 8.
JUNIOR LADY PUPS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS:
#1 Singles: 3. Audra Sandbo 2-2
#2 Singles: 1. Dragon Rodriguez 4-0
#3 Singles: 1. Ava Miller 4-0
#4 Singles: 1. Breanna Sullivan 4-0
#1 Doubles: 1. Avery Unruh/Quinn Liebl 4-1
#2 Doubles: 1. McKenna Paul/Piper Van Campen 4-0
#3 Doubles: 2. Emily Reno/Hayden Eveland 4-2
#4 Doubles: 2. Anne-Marie Holmes/Sophia Boese 3-1
(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)