State Tennis took place on Oct. 13 and 14 in Topeka. Senior Haylee Osner competed in singles; seniors Grace Bender and Janel Meyer competed in doubles; and sophomores Morgan and Sadie Koester competed in doubles.
The team motto this season was “eye of the tiger.” The idea came from head coach Chris Bellar when he randomly threw up a claw one day at practice and it stuck.
The girls said the weather was a huge challenge when it came to playing.
“[The challenge was] the wind and the cold. It affected where the ball was going to go,” Sadie said. “It was rough at first, but as the day went on I persevered and played better.”
Another challenge the girls had to face was the other team’s attitude.
“A few of the girls were very bad sports,” Osner said. “During the tournament, there were a few opponents I played that had a bad attitude. One of the opponents I faced for the third time, and every time she made a good shot she would scream obnoxiously. It was very frustrating playing somebody who acts in that manner.”
Although there were some challenges, the girls said there were some funny moments throughout the day.
“Mr. Bellar hit some traffic cones with the school suburban while driving to the tennis courts to warm up,” Bender said. “We also had to stop on the side of the highway to pick up some limestone for the OWL site.”
At the end of the tournament, the Koesters placed third in doubles and Osner placed fourth in singles.
