March 18, 2024

Strong core returns for Cardinal tennis girls

Newton High’s girls are set to build off a winning 2016 tennis season. The Cardinal girls’ tennis team has five returning varsity players to help lead it in 2017.

Seventh-year head coach Erick Zehr and new assistant coach Tracy Wulfekuhle have a large squad of 36 players to work with this season. Wulfekuhle played high school tennis at Western Dubuque and finished eight in doubles at state for the Bobcats. This is her first coaching position.

“We have a strong core of varsity players, but we have lots of questions to answer and big shoes to fill. We are very young — we have 25 new players, majority of which are freshmen,” Zehr said. “Someone will step in and play singles in the varsity lineup that didn’t play varsity last year.”

Newton’s top players back as seniors Megan Pressgrove and Katherine Thorpe and juniors Bethany Baumgartner, Natalie Camp and Kinzie Loree. Zehr said returning junior varsity players Harlie Durr, Rylie Bakalar and Alexis Hoffman — all juniors — could make an impact at the varsity level this season.

Pressgrove and Thorpe are the team captains for 2017. Newton went 8-3 in tennis dual action and was 3-2 in Little Hawkeye Conference dual play. The Cardinals finished tied for third at the LHC tournament in which Pressgrove, Thorpe and Baumgartner competed in.

Pressgrove qualified for the Class 1A state tennis tournament as a member of a Cardinals’ double team with then senior Kate Wyre. They were the seventh and eighth players from Newton to qualify for a state tennis tournament and the third doubles team. In 2013, Jennifer Ventling and Holly VanderPol went to the 2A tournament in doubles.

“Megan returns, following a very successful campaign last year, and is hoping to become the first two-time state qualifier from Newton. She returns as one of the top players in the conference, and her main goal for this season is to make it back to state,” Zehr said. “One of the big questions for this season will be the decision between trying to qualify in single or doubles for Megan, and if doubles, who her partner will be.”

In the LHC meet, Pressgrove played No. 1 singles and was third, Thorpe played No. 2 singles and was fourth Baumgartner was part of the No. 2 doubles team for Newton, which finished fourth.

Zehr said there are several new players on the team showing promise and could see some varsity action. The Cardinals lost half of its varsity lineup to graduation so there will be people playing in new situations this season.

Newton has five seniors on the squad and 10 juniors. There are six sophomores on the roster and 15 freshmen.

“We have lots of potential. The big question will be how we perform in the face of all these new challenges,” Zehr said.

“In the past I have been able to look ahead to the upcoming season and predict how it will play out fairly closely, and this season is the complete opposite. It is cliche, but apt — the story for this team is blank, and will be written as we go. It will be an unpredictable and exciting season, to be sure.”

Others on the 2017 roster are seniors Kaitlyn Barnes, Hayley Sinclair and Ryanne Rausch; juniors Briahna Teague, Katie Suttek, Kallista Rogers and Madison Bleeker; sophomores Sommer Markham, Haley Rinehart, Rilee Slycord, Emily Valtman, Anna VanDam and Sophie Winton; and freshmen Kaylle Cross, Bayleigh Hughson, Ashley Loehr, Kaiah McNeeley, Jaysea Miller, Kasandra Neal, Jaci Nida, Kaitlyn Noel, Cristal Perez, Elizabeth Raper, Lily Rausch, Bailey Sparks, Sadie Steinbach, Karysa Young and Malarie Zach.

Newton opens the season Thursday at Des Moines East. The Cardinals host three LHC duals this season — Grinnell on April 11, Pella on April 18 and Pella Christian on April 25.

Newton moves back up to 2A for postseason play this season after one year at 1A.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com