HHS TENNIS – Girls compete at Smoky Valley and Hesston

The Hillsboro girls? tennis team played tournaments at Smoky Valley in Lindsborg last Thursday, then at Hesston on Saturday.

At Lindsborg, the Trojans finished in sixth among eight teams. The format grouped singles players and doubles teams in one bracket for each division.

Becky Faber led HHS with a third-place finish in singles. She defeated Sarah Tajchman of Chapman 8-4 and Jenny Lindoff of Chapman 8-2, then lost to eventual champion Rachael Hageman of Hesston 8-1 before defeating Allie Hipp of Claflin 8-6 in the third-place match.

Hillsboro?s Aubrey Meier went 0-4, losing to Hageman of Hesston and Courtney Chacon of Trinity, then to Morgan Schrock of Hesston 8-7 in a 7-1 tiebreaker. She lost her final match to Tara Gladding of Smoky Valley 8-3.

In doubles, Courtney Weber teamed with Emma Heyen. They lost 8-4 to D. Good and R. Shogren of Hesston and 8-6 to Taylor and S. Weaver of Smoky Valley, then defeated Hall and Abbot of Chapman 8-2 and Harris and Jansen of Chapman 8-2 to finish 13th among 16 pairs.

The team of Elise Heyen and Hayley Pank?ratz went 2-2, losing to Smoky Valley?s Aeschliman and Kampfe 8-2, then defeating Hall and Abbot of Chapman 8-1 and Taylor and Weaver of Smoky 8-2 before losing to Hoffman and Zey of Abilene 8-2 to finish ninth.

On Saturday in Hesston, Faber finished fourth in singles. She lost to Hageman 8-3, defeated Kendi Hickel of Claflin 8-4 and Keli Dunn of Wichita Collegiate 8-6. She then lost to Mel Mihelic of Andover 8-0 in the third-place match.

?Becky continues to play well in singles,? coach Bob Woelk said. ?Even when she loses, she makes her opponent work for every point. I am really happy with her tenacity.?

Courtney Weber went 1-3 in singles. She lost to Ali Anderson of Hesston 8-2, Hipp of Claflin 8-0, Allison Zietlow of Collegiate 8-6 and defeated Tiffany Prieb of Hesston 8-3 to place seventh.

The Heyen sisters played together in doubles. They lost to S. Shogren and M. Weaver of Hesston 8-1 and Liebl and Hekele of Claflin 8-1. They defeated Senseney and Pignatiello of Collegiate 8-3, then lost to Good and R. Shogren of Hesston 8-3 to claim sixth.

Pankratz and Meier, meanwhile, lost to Brubacher and A. Weaver of Hesston 8-2, Schartz and Kirmer of Claflin 8-3, Kelemen and Kelemen of Collegiate 8-5 before beating Andover?s Rochet and Sanders 8-6 for seventh place.

?We are still trying out different combinations for doubles,? Woelk said. ?Just when I think I have settled on the pairings, something changes.

?All the girls continue to play hard,? he added. ?All our meets are tough, and the competition continues to be strong. There were a number of 2008 state qualifiers playing at both Smoky Valley and Hesston.?

COMING — The Trojans were scheduled to return to Hesston on Tuesday for a tournament, then will travel to Wichita Collegiate next Tuesday before hosting a meet on Thursday, Sept. 24.

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