37th Annual Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament Results
ROUND 1
Jordan Knox-Megan Wandfluh def Dan Becker-McKenzie Bruce 6-0, 6-3;
Matt Turek-Hannah Grossen def Matt Inman-Maria Torres 6-3, 6-4; Ryan
Young-Amie Heinzelman def Dan and Pam Lehman 6-7, 6-3, (10-0); Garrett
Tschanz-Kelsey Erickson def Nick Hendrickson-Emily Grossen 6-4, 7-5; Tim Gellings-Melissa Hill def Jordan Everson-Gwen Sutter 6-4, 6-1
QUARTERFINALS
Carson Root-Kristin McArdle def Knox-Wandfluh 7-5, 6-4; Pat
Gellings-Taylor Weis def Turek-Grossen 6-1, 6-4; Young-Heinzelman def Matt
Le-Kiera Berger 6-1, 6-3; T.Gellings-Hill def Tschanz-Erickson 6-1, 7-5
SEMIFINALS
Root-McArdle def P.Gellings-Weis 6-0, 6-4; Young-Heinzelman def T.Gellings-Hill 6-4, 7-5
FINALS
Young-Heinzelman def Root-McArdle 7-6, 6-4 3rd Place: P.Gellings-Weis def T.Gellings-Hill 6-1, 2-6, 7-6
Consolation: Lehman-Lehman def Inman-Torres 6-4, 5-7, 6-1
MONROE - Big Cheesemaker fans, Ryan Young and Amie Heinzelman had to be impressed with the duo they dispatched in the championship match of the 37th Annual Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament.
The 2005 Monroe High School grads fought off several rallies by current MHS sophomores Carson Root and Kristin McArdle to pull out a 7-6 (8), 6-4 nailbiter in the finals at Recreation Park Sunday afternoon.
Under sunny skies, the youngsters battled back from a 5-2 second-set deficit but couldn't complete the comeback as McArdle was broken in the last game.
The stellar first set featured five straight broken services. Finally, McArdle held service to tie things up at five games apiece before Young and Root followed suit to force the tiebreak.
Root sealed his game by outdueling Young at the net, his winner skipping off the top of the net and dying before Young could close on it. Root skipped another winner off the net in the first tiebreaker point and turned to McArdle to say, "Love the net."
His confidence was downright palpable.
"Our confidence built up a lot when they made some errors," Root said.
Four points later, McArdle smacked a backhand winner to seize a 5-1 lead. Then, either the seniority took over, or the green of the newcomers started to show.
Root hit a near-winner that missed the baseline by inches. McArdle hit a similarly-errant shot before a couple of errors found Young and Heinzelman leading 6-5 in a flash.
"I looked at Amie when we were down and we knew we needed the next two points and we got 'em," Young said. "The experience showed in the tiebreaker."
McArdle stroked a winner, but a pinpoint forehand by Young down the right boundary set up match point, during which a smash attempt by McArdle went deep.
"They're great players and we knew we'd have to play a great match; it just kind of got away from us there," said.
Root was disappointed it took until the second set to get the feel for his kick serve.
"I don't know where it came from either, it just started happening and I started using it more and more," Root said before looking down and following up with, "it should've come in the first set, though.
McArdle was vying for a clean sweep after winning the ladies' division of the singles tournament, the first stop on the summer circuit. She then combined with Ellie Shuda to win the doubles title.
Even though she missed the sweep, she knows time is on her side.
"That would've been nice, but this was still fun and second is good enough for me," McArdle said. "I've got next year."
Pat Gellings and Taylor Weis won a third-set tiebreaker to secure third place in a see-saw grudge match with Pat's brother Tim and Melissa Hill. The Gellings brothers renewed a rivalry that saw them pitted against each other in the consolation match last year.
The sibling rivalry was on full display early in the first set, as Pat recovered on a well-placed lob, chased it down and smacked a two-handed backhand which Tim spiked as he prowled along the net. Pat managed a return which he thought would come up short, as a disgusted "Pfffft" came from his mouth. But the yellow ball somehow flopped over the top of the net. Tim stayed alert and hit a shot between Pat and Weis, as Pat got caught charging the net.
This year's consolation honors went to Dan and Pam Lehman, who wore down Matt Inman and Maria Torres, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1. Young and Heinzelman held on for dear life to make the finals by fending off Gellings and Hill, 6-4, 7-5, in the semifinals.
Young, a senior at Concordia took a break from AAU basketball in his senior year at MHS and played tennis for tournament coordinator and celebrated Cheesemakers coach Jim Bartholf.
"He didn't miss a beat," Bartholf remembers. "He's just such an athlete."
"I'd wanted to play tennis for a couple of years," Young said. "Making state was just an added bonus."
Young won a doubles match at the state tournament and completed a senior season during which he went to the state tournament in cross country, basketball and tennis.
Similar to the way Young got his prep tennis fix in at late, he and Heinzelman, who found out about the tournament on her drive home for a visit, threw their pairing together at the last second.
"We didn't really have any expecations, because she hadn't picked up a racquet in a year and I hadn't picked one up in a few months," Young said.
Heinzelman, a UW-Oshkosh senior, has focused on softball and studies despite the Titans' tennis program urging her to play tennis as well.
"I've been asked, but I'm staying away - sticking with softball," Heinzelman said. "But I'm excited to see how the Monroe girls will do this season."
The 2005 Monroe High School grads fought off several rallies by current MHS sophomores Carson Root and Kristin McArdle to pull out a 7-6 (8), 6-4 nailbiter in the finals at Recreation Park Sunday afternoon.
Under sunny skies, the youngsters battled back from a 5-2 second-set deficit but couldn't complete the comeback as McArdle was broken in the last game.
The stellar first set featured five straight broken services. Finally, McArdle held service to tie things up at five games apiece before Young and Root followed suit to force the tiebreak.
Root sealed his game by outdueling Young at the net, his winner skipping off the top of the net and dying before Young could close on it. Root skipped another winner off the net in the first tiebreaker point and turned to McArdle to say, "Love the net."
His confidence was downright palpable.
"Our confidence built up a lot when they made some errors," Root said.
Four points later, McArdle smacked a backhand winner to seize a 5-1 lead. Then, either the seniority took over, or the green of the newcomers started to show.
Root hit a near-winner that missed the baseline by inches. McArdle hit a similarly-errant shot before a couple of errors found Young and Heinzelman leading 6-5 in a flash.
"I looked at Amie when we were down and we knew we needed the next two points and we got 'em," Young said. "The experience showed in the tiebreaker."
McArdle stroked a winner, but a pinpoint forehand by Young down the right boundary set up match point, during which a smash attempt by McArdle went deep.
"They're great players and we knew we'd have to play a great match; it just kind of got away from us there," said.
Root was disappointed it took until the second set to get the feel for his kick serve.
"I don't know where it came from either, it just started happening and I started using it more and more," Root said before looking down and following up with, "it should've come in the first set, though.
McArdle was vying for a clean sweep after winning the ladies' division of the singles tournament, the first stop on the summer circuit. She then combined with Ellie Shuda to win the doubles title.
Even though she missed the sweep, she knows time is on her side.
"That would've been nice, but this was still fun and second is good enough for me," McArdle said. "I've got next year."
Pat Gellings and Taylor Weis won a third-set tiebreaker to secure third place in a see-saw grudge match with Pat's brother Tim and Melissa Hill. The Gellings brothers renewed a rivalry that saw them pitted against each other in the consolation match last year.
The sibling rivalry was on full display early in the first set, as Pat recovered on a well-placed lob, chased it down and smacked a two-handed backhand which Tim spiked as he prowled along the net. Pat managed a return which he thought would come up short, as a disgusted "Pfffft" came from his mouth. But the yellow ball somehow flopped over the top of the net. Tim stayed alert and hit a shot between Pat and Weis, as Pat got caught charging the net.
This year's consolation honors went to Dan and Pam Lehman, who wore down Matt Inman and Maria Torres, 6-4, 5-7, 6-1. Young and Heinzelman held on for dear life to make the finals by fending off Gellings and Hill, 6-4, 7-5, in the semifinals.
Young, a senior at Concordia took a break from AAU basketball in his senior year at MHS and played tennis for tournament coordinator and celebrated Cheesemakers coach Jim Bartholf.
"He didn't miss a beat," Bartholf remembers. "He's just such an athlete."
"I'd wanted to play tennis for a couple of years," Young said. "Making state was just an added bonus."
Young won a doubles match at the state tournament and completed a senior season during which he went to the state tournament in cross country, basketball and tennis.
Similar to the way Young got his prep tennis fix in at late, he and Heinzelman, who found out about the tournament on her drive home for a visit, threw their pairing together at the last second.
"We didn't really have any expecations, because she hadn't picked up a racquet in a year and I hadn't picked one up in a few months," Young said.
Heinzelman, a UW-Oshkosh senior, has focused on softball and studies despite the Titans' tennis program urging her to play tennis as well.
"I've been asked, but I'm staying away - sticking with softball," Heinzelman said. "But I'm excited to see how the Monroe girls will do this season."
