Conference meets to kick off Monday
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
Playing a daunting early-season schedule is one way for a squad to prepare for the rest of the year.
And when it comes to the Big Foot-Williams Bay girls tennis team, that’s exactly what the Chiefs have done early in 2016.
Big Foot continued its stretch of tough nonconference contests on Tuesday with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Southern Lakes Conference foe Wilmot.
The win came on the heels of a 1-2 record at Monday’s Oconomowoc Quadrangular that featured three matches against Division 1 opponents.
Things are starting to fall into place, Big Foot assistant coach Dani Lawler said.
“The girls played well (on Tuesday) against some especially tough opponents,” she said. “Our singles lineup is still not at full strength, as one of our players was unable to play.
“We are (also) still working on our doubles lineup. But I was pleased with what I saw.”
Freshman Clare Heckert picked up the Chiefs’ only singles victory at No. 2, as she defeated Wilmot’s Bella Anderson 6-1, 6-3.
Big Foot swept the doubles to bring home the victory.
Winning matches were sophomore Maddie Palmer and junior Izzy Klesmith at No. 1, 6-0, 6-1 over Kayla Potter and Sam Edmonds; senior Lexi Zabrouski and junior Sam Hartwig at No. 2, 6-2, 6-2 over Grace Suitor and Maddie Lindeman; and senior Alyssa Nor and sophomore Claire Beyers at No. 3, 6-2, 6-1 over Shauna Murray and Jordan Potter.
Dropping singles matches to the Panthers were junior Meredith Heckert, 1-6, 3-6 to Bianca Anderson; junior Sonja Ericson, 3-6, 1-6 to freshman Brynn Amundson; and junior Sara Canche, 0-6, 1-6 to Rylee Amundson.
The Chiefs begin Rock Valley Conference action Monday afternoon at Edgerton, beginning at 4:15 p.m.
Chiefs 1-2 at quadrangular
Big Foot completed play at the Oconomowoc Quadrangular on Monday after the meet was postponed because of rain last Saturday.
The Chiefs defeated Burlington 5-2, but dropped decisions to Mukwonago 5-2 and to Oconomowoc 4-3.
Meredith Heckert at No. 1 singles all three matches.
At No. 1, Meredith Heckert posted wins of 6-2, 6-4 over Mukwonago’s Sarah Kolterman; 6-3, 6-2 over Burlington’s May Jagonzinski; and 6-0, 6-1 over Oconomowoc’s Sarah Letcher.
“She played incredibly well,” Lawler said.
Clare Heckert at No. 2 singles and Palmer-Klesmith at No. 1 doubles each were 2-1 overall.
The younger Heckert earned a 6-3, 3-6 (10-7) win over Mukwonago and a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Burlington. Her lone setback came against Oconomowoc, 2-6, 6-3 (4-10).
Palmer-Klesmith dropped their opening match to Mukwonago, 2-6, 5-7, but bounced back to beat Burlington 6-1, 6-4 and Oconomowoc 6-4, 6-4.
The Chiefs’ other win came from Hartwig-Beyers at No. 2 doubles, as they defeated Burlington 6-4, 6-1.
