Wednesday, March 16, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Boys tennis gets set for season
By rongi yost
Correspondent
The Sisters High School
boys tennis team will com-
pete for the first time this
year in the Special District
No. 2. In previous years
they have always been in
the Special District No. 3. It
was difficult for Coach Bim
Gander to give any predic-
tions on the upcoming season
due to an entirely new slate of
opponents.
The 2015 tennis squad
graduated nine seniors, so this
year there will be many new
faces on the team. The young
team will have considerably
less playing experience, but
Gander told The Nugget that
they will compensate for that
with lots of athletic potential.
Sisters will return six
players to the varsity squad.
Seniors Michael Commins
(singles), Noah Eckstine
(doubles), and Pierce Wehrle
(singles) return for their final
season, along with juniors
Jonathan Gurney (singles),
Josh Kizziar (singles), and
Sean Willitts (doubles).
Gander stated that there
is no dominant No. 1 sin-
gles player this year, but
Commins, Gurney, Wehrle
and Kizziar all have a shot at
the top spot.
Pierce Wehrle and Josh
Kizziar were a very success-
ful doubles team last year,
and their strengths lie in their
consistency and good court
coverage.
“Both Pierce and Josh
wanted to expand their skills
by playing singles this year,
but they may team up again
at times and play No. 1 dou-
bles,” said Gander.
Jonathan Gurney had a
great run at the district tour-
ney last year, and solidi-
fied his status as the most
improved singles player of
the 2015 season. Gander said
he expects Gurney to build
both power and finesse into
his game this year.
Commins easily has
the most experience on the
team. Even prior to start-
ing as a freshman four years
ago, Michael had some ten-
nis lessons under his belt.
And he’s six-feet-four-
inches, which can give him a
weapon.
“We will work especially
hard on his (Commins) serve
this year, utilizing that huge
height advantage,” said
Gander.
New to the team this year
are juniors Jacob Gurney,
Tanner and Tyler Head, and
freshmen Isaiah Chapen
(doubles), Jed Kizziar, and
William Wright (doubles).
Many of the singles
and doubles positions are
still undecided, and will be
determined as the season
progresses.
“It’s great to have three
freshmen this year, which is
the most ever,” said Gander.
“Since we have a smaller
team this season, they’ll all
see plenty of match play.
“I expect this group
to improve rapidly as the
season progresses,” said
Gander.”Most of the guys are
multi-sport players.”
The tennis team was
to kick off their season on
Tuesday, March 15, in a
match against Mt. View.
The match was scheduled to
begin at 4 p.m. at Black Butte
Ranch.
Quality Truck-mounted
5
Boys golf swings
into action
By rongi yost
Correspondent
The boys golf team will
kick off their season with the
District Preview, which will
be held at the Tokatee Golf
Club on Thursday, March 17.
The boys will take time off
for spring break and be back
on Thursday, April 7, with a
golf match against Mountain
View at Awbrey Glen.
Sisters returns three play-
ers to the squad and will add
three additional players to the
team. Juniors Kade Owen and
Devin Robillard are back for
another season, along with
Austin Lake (sophomore),
who only got in three matches
last year before he broke his
arm and had to be sidelined.
Owen and Robillard were
the only two Outlaws to make
it to the district tournament
last year. They both have
improved their putting, which
should be a big help to their
game this year.
Joining the Outlaws are
juniors Andrew Mayes and
Patrick Dingeman, and fresh-
man Wyatt Hernandez. Mayes
should give the Outlaws a big
lift with his nice left-handed
swing, and Dingeman and
Hernandez will compete for
the fifth spot on the team.
Coach Bill Mitchell said,
“Golf is a very challenging
game, and it’s one you can
continue to play as you get
older. I would love to see
more kids come out for the
sport.”
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