This is a printer friendly version of an article from the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. Posted with the permission.
Back to WRACS

April 17, 2009

Boys tennis: Pacelli surprises Assumption

By Kyle Falstad
For the Daily Tribune

STEVENS POINT -- The Wisconsin Rapids Assumption boys tennis team knew Pacelli would be much improved this season, but they didn't predict how much so.

The up-and-coming Pacelli squad dominated the Royals on Thursday afternoon, sweeping the three doubles matches and winning three of the four singles matches at Goerke Park for a 6-1 win.

"We have always beaten Pacelli, every time we've dealt with them," Assumption coach Gail Lundberg said. "I fully expected it to be a duel, and every single one of the matches we lost was especially close."

The doubles match between Assumption's Joe Klinkhammer and Noah Tricky, and Pacelli's Eddie Hartman and Peter O'Reilly, was especially even, and was the only match to go to a third set. Hartman and O'Reilly overcame a loss in the first set with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 win.

Neither of the Royals' other two doubles pairs fared any better, as Jon Brux and Grant Sigler and David Brown and Mark Henning each fell in straight sets; 6-1,6-4, and 6-1, 6-2, respectively.

Assumption's top singles player Matt Davis notched the only win for the Royals, taking out Pacelli freshman Mac DeBot by comfortable margins of 6-0 and 6-3.

But neither Jared Sigler, Matt Turba or Damon Gutsch could match Davis' result, as each fell victim in the other three singles matches.

The win improves the Cardinals to 2-0 on the young season, one more win than they managed all of last year. Pacelli coach Dan Kiedrowski seemed somewhat surprised by his team's hot start.

"I wasn't expecting to win, but I did expect even matches and that's what we got," Kiedrowski said. "It came out our way today. If we played them again it might have come out differently."

Lundberg felt that her team's less-than-stellar play is partially related to the lack of practice time they've had so far this season.

"Hopefully with the good weather we can get out more," she said. "Technically a lot of things I saw were improved, but I can see where I and they need to work."

Cardinals 6, Royals 1

Singles: 1. Matt Davis (A) def. Mac DeBot 6-0, 3-6; 2. Joseph Wirtz (P) def. Jared Sigler 6-3, 6-3; 3. Drew Charles (P) def. Matt Turba 6-4, 6-4; 4. Kyle Rosenthal (P) def. Damon Gutsch 6-2, 6-1.

Doubles: 1. Eddie Hartman-Peter O'Reilly (P) def. Joe Klinkhammer-Noah Tricky 5-7, 7-5, 6-4; 2. Alex Charles-Mitch Altmann (P) def. Jon Brux-Grant Sigler 6-1, 6-4; 3. Mark Henning-Jon Mallek (P) def. David Brown-Mark Henning 6-1, 6-2.