TENNIS PREVIEW: Lady Falcons start season on high note

Westosha Central freshman Janell Gillmore prepares to serve against Burlington at a Southern Lakes Conference dual meet last week (Mike Ramczyk/The Report).
Westosha Central freshman Janell Gillmore prepares to serve against Burlington at a Southern Lakes Conference dual meet last week (Mike Ramczyk/The Report).

Team returns several letter-winners

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

When a tennis team returns nearly all of its letter-winners, high expectations could emerge, but don’t tell Lady Falcons’ coach Pat Brings that.

“Not going to look too far ahead,” Brings said as she enters her eighth season. “I take one match at a time.”

Westosha Central High School, who finished 4-3 in Southern Lakes Conference dual meets last year, brings back the first-team doubles combination of Alyssa Hrncar/Tori Salerno along with No. 1 singles player and second-team honoree Stephanie Dopuch.

The Hrncar/Salerno duo, installed at No. 1 doubles, have started their seniors years with a 5-1 record, an improvement from a year ago when they finished at 6-6.

For Dopuch, at No. 1 singles, she finished with a 15-7 record as a sophomore last year, and has started her junior campaign at 4-2.

Overall, Dopuch compiled a 17-8 record between No. 1 and No. 2 singles.

One of her two losses came against Wilmot Union High School’s Bianca Andersen, who has started her sophomore year at 9-0.

Improvement is not limited to the three, however, with the No. 3 doubles team of juniors Brooke Wysiatko/Katie Barningham starting their season at 6-0.

In doubles as a sophomore, Wysiatko was 11-13.

Meanwhile, sophomore Sara Backus is back at No. 2 singles, where she has accumulated a 4-2 record.

Seniors Brantleigh Bannon and Emma Delisi have split time at No. 4 singles, with Bannon standing at 3-0 while Delisi is 2-1.

Furthermore, the Lady Falcons boast junior Ashley Wells and senior Michelle Belmont at No. 2 doubles, where they stand at 5-1.

As the doubles teams started their seasons with success, Brings attributes a more rigorous offseason, with a focus on teamwork.

“They like each other, they play as a team,” Brings stated. “They practice together all summer.”

Another returning letter-winner is junior Kelly Wolkober, who finished 16-9 last year, but has not played a match thus far in 2016.

While the Lady Falcons have a slew of returning letter-winners, freshman Janell Gillmore has started her Westosha Central career at 4-2.

The promising start to the season, where they are 5-1 as a team, creates optimism for Brings.

“It is probably the best group we ever had. They are all friends, they like each other, and get along together,” she said.


Posted

in

,

by

Tags: