Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Joe Beeson, who began Warsaw's boys tennis program in 1962, returned to the court again Tuesday as coach of Warsaw's girls tennis team.
Like the Tigers often did under Beeson from 1989-1992, they won.
Warsaw opened the season by blanking Rochester 5-0, although this was a Rochester team that fell to 0-2. It was also a Rochester team that hosted and lost to Triton 5-0 the night before.
Still, Beeson, who led Warsaw's girls team to a 62-10 record and four semistate trips from 1989-1992, wasn't about to downplay the win.
"Seriously, I think it was a good first match," he said.
Warsaw wrapped up its 5-0 win in an hour. The Tigers' No. 1 doubles team of seniors Kara Kesler and Amber Barrett, who beat seniors Elizabeth Mosley and Lana Gottschalk 6-0, 6-0, finished their match so quickly one of the Rochester parents arrived and trudged up with her lawn chair to watch the match -Êbut it ended five minutes earlier. Barrett and Kesler needed less than 30 minutes.
All the scores were lopsided.
In the No. 1 singles match, Warsaw freshman Jessica Davis beat junior Leslie Douglass 6-2, 6-0. Warsaw No. 2 singles player Kristi Haddad, a freshman filling in for junior Lauren Witzky, beat junior Slava Poledica 6-1, 6-1. Warsaw No. 3 singles player Lili Aguilar, a junior, topped sophomore Jessica Grossnickle 6-1, 6-0.
In the No. 2 doubles match, Warsaw senior Angela Suchecki and sophomore Tracy Yoder beat junior Stephanie Cloud and freshman Jenna Sirken 6-0, 6-1.
"I'm very pleased," Beeson said. "Both doubles teams look quite strong. It's always very pleasing when freshmen perform as well as they did."
The Tigers won 5-0 despite not having their projected lineup on the court. In the future Witzky will be the No. 2 singles player and Haddad the No. 3 singles player, but Witzky is ineligible to play until Saturday.
One reason Beeson liked starting the season against a team Warsaw handled easily is because he knows what lies ahead. On Saturday, the Tigers host an eight-team tournament that includes the likes of No. 1 Indianapolis Park Tudor and No. 16 Penn.
"We have no control over the schedule at this point," he said. "When we get in our conference schedule, things will get tougher. Today has to be a confidence-builder for our kids."
Warsaw has one more tune-up match for the tournament, 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Columbia City.
It has been nine years since Beeson last coached Warsaw's tennis team, but he's glad to be back.
Now Warsaw's girls tennis program is 63-10 (.863) under Beeson.
"It's a lot of fun to get back into the program," Beeson said. "I'm thoroughly enjoying it."
WARSAW 5, ROCHESTER 0
Singles
No. 1 - Jessica Davis def. Leslie Douglass 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 -ÊKristi Haddad def. Slava Poledica 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 -ÊLili Aguilar def. Jessica Grossnickle 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1 - Kara Kesler/Amber Barrett def. Elizabeth Mosley/Lana Gottschalk 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 -ÊAngie Suchecki/Tracy Yoder def. Stephanie Cloud/Jenna Sirken 6-0, 6-1
JV: WARSAW 5, ROCHESTER 0
Singles
No. 1 -ÊAbby Schori def. Leigh Anne Runkle 5-7, 6-1, 7-2
No. 2 -ÊKaitlyn MacDonald def. Gessica Hoge 8-1
No. 3 -ÊGina Cesaretti def. Sara Knapp 8-1
Doubles
No. 1 - Jaime Shirey/Kaitie Lee def. Amanda Thompson/Kiley Deague 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 - Jaclyn Leininger/Betsy LaSalle def. Kristy Callahan/Heather Gibbons 8-1
Exhibition
Autumn Nance/Jill Getz (WAR) def. Kacy Winegar/Claire Cumberland 8-0
Deb Allen/Sara Hamman def. Renae Burkett/Grace Brown 8-0
