Schools
LT Tennis Team Enters Season With Healthy Attitude
With state singles qualifier Alex Chatt and three other returnees from its sectional lineup, the Lyons Township girls tennis team has the potential for a big 2011 season.
LYONS TOWNSHIP GIRLS TENNIS PREVIEW
COACH: Bill Wham (11th season)
2010 RESULTS: 15-6, 5-1 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division duals; third at Silver Meet and third in final overall standings (53 points); second at LT Sectional (18 points); did not score at state meet
RETURNING 2010 STATE MEET QUALIFIERS: Sophomore Alex Chatt (injury default in singles)
OTHER VARSITY RETURNEES: Seniors Katie Miller, Gabby Pavletic, Annie Wiedner and Maggie Wiedner; junior Plunkett; and sophomores Maggie Schwartz and Samantha Sherman
KEY VARSITY NEWCOMER: Freshman Kristen Thoms
OUTLOOK: Frustrated by injuries in 2010, the Lions still had a solid season.
They could have an extraordinary 2011 depending, once again, on their health.
Chatt (22-7 record in 2010) appears ready to build upon a strong freshman year that ended in disappointment when a hip injury forced her to scratch from her first state meet.
Wham said freshman Thoms should bolster the lineup, but she’s wearing a protective boot for at least another week because of a stress fracture in her right ankle before beginning physical therapy.
“If she can play, we’ll be a really solid 1-2 singles, solid 1-2-3 doubles,” Wham said. “We should be strong in singles and OK in doubles, with everybody staying healthy. We don’t have a lot of people (14 to 15). I think we’ve got a decent chance to do well in the conference and, depending who is in the sectional, we could do very well (at state).”
The top four singles and doubles teams at sectionals advance to state. Chatt reached last year’s sectional semifinals but withdrew during that match because of hip pain. At the Silver Meet, Chatt advanced to the finals at No. 1 singles but retired during the second set with a knee injury.
“Her health is good. She had a really good summer (playing USTA),” Wham said. “But this is all different, though. We play three, four matches (per day at major high school tournaments). Alex right now is very healthy and ready to go so we’ll see.”
The doubles team of Miller and Sherman (11-4) and singles player Schwartz (11-8) each lost in the sectional quarterfinals in straight sets, one victory from their first state trips. The graduated No. 1 doubles team of Alexis Reisch and Madeline Barnabee (12-11) also lost in the sectional quarterfinals after each reaching state with different partners in 2009.
Schwartz, Plunkett, the Wiedner twins and Pavletic add to the possible doubles lineups. At last year’s Silver Meet, Miller and Sherman (No. 2 doubles) and Annie Wiedner and Maggie Wiedner (No. 4 doubles) were third, Schwartz (No. 2 singles) was fourth and Plunkett (No. 3 singles) was fifth. Junior Annie Wiesemann, a varsity player the past two seasons but hampered by injury in 2010, is out for the season with a torn MCL.
The Lions once again will try to unseat Hinsdale Central, last year’s second-place state team that also has won the last nine overall Silver titles and 17 of the last 18. The Red Devils captured 80 of 84 possible overall points while LT also finished behind Glenbard West (61 points) after entering the Silver Meet tied for second with the Hilltoppers.
At sectionals, LT was hurt by being paired with the Red Devils as well WSC Gold champion Hinsdale South and Nazareth. The four state-qualifying doubles teams from the LT Sectional finish first (Hinsdale Central), fifth (Nazareth), and among the top 12 (Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South).
The season opener is Thursday against Sandburg in Western Springs followed by the New Trier Invitational Saturday.
QUOTABLE: “We try and do the best we can in the conference, hopefully win it,” Wham said. “We’re going to shoot for second and try to challenge Hinsdale Central, win the sectional and finish in the top 10 in state. It’s realistic if everybody’s healthy.”
