5-22-10 District Tennis

 Houston Robison and Rachelle Anderson will enter next weekend’s

WIAA 1A Tennis Championships as the District Champions from District VI.

Chelan’s Robison/Anderson combo win District

Engstrom wins berth at state – Schwartz is an alternate

By Richard Uhlhorn (As reported by Coach Marty Rothlisberger)

The Chelan doubles team of Houston Robison and Rachelle Anderson earned a berth at the upcoming WIAA 1A State Tennis Championships by beating Cashmere’s Stephanie O”Bryan and Mikela Kowtsch in a hard fought 6-4, 6-4 semi-final match in Omak on Saturday, May 22. This win put them into a match for the District VI Championship against Omak’s Pecha and Law, which the girls defeated 6-1, 6-2. Next weekend, May 28 and 29, Robison and Anderson will enter the state tournament in Yakima.

Senior Houston Robison had been a singles player for Chelan until mid-season this year when Coach Rothlisberger switched her to doubles. In an interview prior to last Saturday’s District playoffs, Rothlisberger said, “I wanted Houston as a senior to go to State and I thought doubles was the way for her to do that.” The top four doubles teams go to the state tournament this year opposed to only three singles players on the girls side.

He added that playing singles gave Robison the swings at a ball she needed. “It helps develop a players ability to see the ball,” said Rothlisberger. “The doubles play helps develop the strategy.”

Senior Rae Schwartz was switched to Robison’s singles slot. At the tournament the week prior, Schwartz had lost her quarterfinal match to the District’s No. 1 seed, Leah Newell of Cascade. Newell eventually became this year’s District Singles Champion.

As a result of that loss, Schwartz need to win three consecutive matches to earn a state berth. She won her first match against Okanogan’s Ines Huizar, 6-3, 6-0 and then staged an exhausting comeback win over Annette Ives of Lake Roosevelt 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. She then faced No. 1 seeded Erica Chavez of Pateros and lost a heartbreaking first set in a tiebreaker and eventually lost this match 7-6, (8-6) 6-1. Schwartz will be the first alternate to the state tournament as the number four placer at district.

“The combination of Chelan's girls doubles team taking 1st place and Rae Schwartz taking 4th place earned Chelan the district team tennis title,” reported Rothlisberger.

Matt Engstrom entered the District VI Championships as a the No. 4 seed. Engstrom lost his quarterfinal match to Tonasket’s No. 1 seeded Brett Hendrick 6-4, 6-4. Hendrick went on to claim the District Championship.  “Matt played some of his best tennis of the year in this match, and gave the No. 1 seed quite a scare.”

Matt Engstrom enteres the State Tennis Tournament as the number four seed

out of District VI.

The loss to Hedrick forced Engstrom into the consolation bracket where he punched his ticked to the State Tournament by defeating Liberty Bell’s Dylan Wolfe 6-2, 6-0. In Engstrom’s final match of the day, he faced No. 3 seeded Lee Leavell of Tonasket, ending up losing that match 6-4, 6-2, but will move on to the state tournament on May 28/29 in Yakima.

On May 18, when District VI play began in Omak, Chelan had Maghara DePaoli won her first match of the cutthroat-single elimination matches. She beat Stephanie Luedtke of Cashmere 6-3, 6-1, but was eliminated in the second round by No. 3 seed Annette Ives of Lake Roosevelt in a very close match 6-0, 6-7, 6-3.

Chelan senior Karly Sheehan fell to No. 4 seeded Erica Chavez 6-2, 6-0.

On the boys side Chelan junior Forest Brown lost a close first round match 6-4, 6-4. Sophomore Jaden Smiley won his first round match over Entiat’s Gilberto Murillo, but lost in his second match of the day 6-0, 6-0.

In girls doubles play, the combination of Robison and Anderson proved tough in second round play. They made the semifinals by winning their quarter final match against Omak’s Braley/Riggle 7-5, 7-5.

The doubles team of Livi Plew and Emma Palumbo won their first match 6-0, 6-0, but then lost a tough, close match to Odle/Cho of Cashmere 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to eliminate them.

In boys doubles, Chelan senior Ian Wyant and sophomore Dylan Sloan lost their opening match to a very talented Cashmere doubles team 6-0, 6-0.

Jaden Smiley finished the season with an overall record of 9-7. Maghara DePaoli finished her season with an overall record of 11-5, including 9-4 in singles play. Karly Sheehan finished with an overall record of 12-5, including 6-2 in singles play. Olivia Plew finished 12-4 overall and Emma Palumbo finished 11-1 overall.

“I’m very proud of the tennis team this year,” stated Coach Marty Rothlisberger. The girls team finished its regular season play undefeated which is a tremendous accomplishment in the CTL.