Tennis Team Wins Two Straight Matches
24 Apr 2008

The Manchester High School girls’ tennis team snapped a 16 match losing streak that dated back to the 2006 season in a loss to Logansport in the Peru Regional by beating Wawasee in a dramatic fashion, 3-2.
With the team score tied at 2-2, Julie Seifert, who lost her first set 6-3, and fought back to win her second set 7-5, had the match riding on her racquet.
Seifert, a senior, but playing her second year of tennis, had no trouble, winning the third set 6-1.
“Julie said she wasn’t nervous at all (heading into the third set),” head coach Tim McLaughlin said. “She is a basketball player, and is used to playing in front of a large crowd in pressure situations. She did a great job to fight back to win the second and third sets.”
Also earning singles wins were Kristen Lahman, 6-4, 6-0, and Tara Gnagy, 6-3, 6-2.
“Kristen did a great job of playing mistake free tennis,” McLaughlin said. “Tara controlled the entire match.”
The doubles team of Katherine Tate and Jenna Alexander lost a close 7-6 (10), 6-3 match at one doubles, and the team of Whitnee Hidalgo and Sadie Preston lost 6-2, 6-1.
The JV team fell to Wawasee 5-0 with Shelby Rager, Marina Meinert and Skye Haywood all losing singles matches, and Rebecca Ruppert/Casey Brandenburg and Anisa Adam/Caitlynn French losing doubles matches.
Win Over Rochester
The girls’ tennis team won its second straight match Monday night with a 3-2 win over TRC rival Rochester.
Once again, all three singles players pulled out wins, this time, all in straight sets.
Lahman and Gnagy had no trouble with their opponents, both winning 6-1, 6-0. Gnagy improved to 4-1 on the year, winning her fourth straight match.
Seifert once again was in the deciding match, and once again, the senior pulled it out in a struggle, winning 7-5, 6-3. After winning a tight first set, Seifert went ahead 5-0 in the second set, and had to withstand a last minute rally from Corrine Heller, but came out on top 6-3.
“Kristen probably played her best match of the year,” McLaughlin said. “Julie is doing what she has to do to win matches, and that’s what we need from her.”
The doubles team of Tate and Alexander lost 6-3, 6-2, while the team of Hidalgo and Preston lost 6-2, 6-0.
The JV team lost to Rochester 7-1.
Skye Haywood was the only Lady Squire to win a JV match, 8-3. Shelby Rager (8-0), Marina Meinert (8-1), and Bri Dahlstrom (8-6) lost singles matches, while the doubles teams of Chelsea Butler/Casey Brandenburg (8-0), Rebecca Ruppert/Caitlynn French (8-4), Lauren Wagoner/Anisa Adam (8-4), and Stephanie Sparks/Heather Hathaway (8-1) all lost doubles matches.
Loss To Northfield
Last week, the girls’ tennis team had a frustrating night with Northfield, falling 4-1.
Gnagy was the only Lady Squire to win a match, beating Erin Shannon, who had to retire from the match. Shannon won the first set 6-3, and Gnagy won the second 6-2.
Lahman lost to Alexa Trump 6-3, 6-2, while Seifert lost to Marissa Meyer 7-6 (5), 6-3.
The doubles team of Tate/Alexander lost to Megan LaConfora/Jessica Dyson 6-2, 6-3, and the team of Whitnee Hidalgo/Sadie Preston lost to Addie Ratcliff/Steph Beck 6-0, 6-1.
“Tara really fought hard to win after losing the opening set,” McLaughlin said. “Julie continues to improve, and the number one doubles team played their best match of the year.”
The JV team beat Northfield 4-3.
Rager (8-1) and Haywood (8-2) both won singles matches, while the doubles teams of Lauren Wagoner/Anisa Adam (8-2) and Stephanie Sparks/Heather Hathaway (8-2) won matches. Meinert (8-4), Brandenburg/Butler (8-2), and Ruppert/French (8-6) lost matches.
The tennis team will host 9th ranked Canterbury on Thursday, and will be at the TRC Individual Tournament at Peru this Saturday and will host Huntington North on Monday.