Saints Open Fall Tennis Season

Playing against a stacked field in their first tournament of the fall 2012 season, the Seward County Saints tennis team posted an even .500 record recently at the Wichita ITA Tournament. Seward was led by Daniel Alonte and Josh Hamilton who were both able to bounce back from first round losses to win three straight and take home their consolation bracket championships.

In the A draw the Saints sent their two returning sophomores to the court in Donnersson Penna and Justin Pena. Penna took on Slar Bukatin of McPherson in the first round and was taken down by matching 6-3, 6-3 scores. Pena faced a tough matchup in Wikus Myburgh of Seminole State in his opener and fell 6-0, 6-1. In the B draw Luke Robertson took the court for Seward in his first action as a Saint. Robertson won his opening round matchup against Ramon Nola of Newman 7-5, 6-3 before falling to Sean Dullaghan of McPherson in the second round in a tight 4-6, 6-4, 3-10 match. Daniel Alonte was the Saints representative in the C draw and played a solid match against Aramix Azucey of Seminole State, taking him to the brink in a 4-6, 6-2, 7-10 loss, but came back to capture three straight wins 8-4, 8-2, and 8-4 against Seth Shimerda, Jeff Wherritt, and Mitchel Whitner to win the consolation championship. In the D draw, Liberal native Josh Hamilton took the court for the Saints and fell in the first round before coming back to take the consolation championship with 8-2, 8-5 wins to finish the weekend 2-1. In doubles action Pena and Robertson lost 8-4 in the first round to Seminole State while Penna and Alonte knocked off Newman 8-5 before falling to McPherson 8-6 to end their day.

The Seward County Lady Saints Tennis team recently opened their 2012 fall schedule with their annual trip to the Wichita ITA Tournament. Four Lady Saints players put together a 3-4 record spread across the tournaments A,B, and C draws.

Katiuska Adarmes and Leticia Monteiro played in the top tier of the tournament in the A draw for the Lady Saints. Adarmes won her first round matchup against Erica Dickmeyer of Nebraska Wesleyan 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the tournament while Monteiro was bounced in the first by Ann Brelsford in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. In the second round Adarmes took on Region VI foe Ana Ruzir from Cowley and was blanked in the first set 6-0 before falling 6-4 in the second to be eliminated from the tournament. Seward got their best showing in the B draw where freshman Anna Braun played in her first tournament as a Lady Saint. The Oregon native had no problem in the first round with Kirby Shannon of Seminole State, winning 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the second round of action. In the second Braun upended Nicole Jacobson of Nebraska Wesleyan in the match of the tournament, winning the first 6-1 before losing the second 6-7 (4), and bringing home the third 11-9 to move on to the semis. In the semifinals, Braun matched up against Taylor Jordan of Newman University and was defeated 6-3, 6-0 to finish third in the tournament. In the C draw the Lady Saints sent Kelsi Moree to the court where she faced a tough matchup in Natalie Cech of Nebraska Wesleyan, falling 6-0, 6-0.

Roy Allen