MHS doubles 4th at state tourney
Monday, October 17, 2005 12:22 PM CDT

WICHITA -- McPherson High tennis coach Doug Gayer was just as happy about his team's performance off the court as on it this weekend at the Class 5A State Tournament.

The Bullpups, led by fourth-place doubles finishers Amanda Gayer and Chelsea Ronsse, made the top six in the final team standings in what was a power-packed field.

But after the tournament, Gayer also was pleased with the tributes paid to his team.

”We had a lot of coaches and fans come up and tell us how impressed they were with our sportsmanship,“ Gayer said. ”That means a lot. I was just proud of the effort the girls gave.“

MHS wound up taking sixth with 12 points, finishing behind Kapaun (31), Miege (29), Blue Valley West (22), Newton (19) and Salina Central (15). Gayer said the goal of the week going in was to finish in the top six and it was achieved.

Gayer and Ronsse lost 6-2, 6-2 to Salina Central's Amanda Morris and Alicia Smith in the semifinals, then were defeated by Aquinas' all-freshman team of Elizabeth Close and Nikki Heilman for third in a terrific match, 2-6, 7-5, 5-7.

”The girls were disappointed because they were hoping to get third after finishing fourth last year,“ Gayer said. ”They were down 6-2, 0-2 when they came back to win the second set. We went up 4-1 in the third, but just couldn't get the points to put them away. Aquinas started to get some confidence and momentum.“

Gayer, a sophomore, and Ronsse, a senior, finished 28-9 with a pair of Final Four finishes.

Kapaun's Hush sisters, Rachael and Gillian, completed a perfect season by defeating Morris and Smith in the finals, 6-2, 6-0.

”They (the Hushes) may be the best doubles team I've ever seen,“ Gayer said. ”I don't think anybody in 6A could beat them. You have to go back to the O'Connor sisters of Kapuan in the mid 1980s to find a team that good.“

MHS senior Paige Anderson also medaled, taking 10th in singles. She defeated Hollie Kretsinger of Emporia 9-5 in her first match Saturday before being edged 9-7 by Topeka West's Shannon Johnston. Anderson closed the year 25-15.

”I was happy for Paige to get a medal and it was tough for her playing No. 1 all year,“ Gayer said, noting how strong the competition was.

Miege's nationally ranked Colleen Rielley won the singles without losing a single game in the finals to Newton's previously undefeated Paige McKinney.

Gayer said it was a good season for his team, as his other entrants also made state, freshman singles player Shelby Horton, and the doubles team of freshman Hanna Heidebrecht and junior Carlie Copeland. He said the state experience should help his returnees for next year.

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