Raiders start 2022 season with 2 wins at Wausau West Invite

MEDFORD GIRLS TENNIS

The Medford Raiders lost the Baldwin-Woodville Quad they’ve been accustomed to opening their girls tennis season at this year, but they found a last-minute replacement that served them well Monday and Tuesday.

The Raiders played five dual meets at the Wausau West Invitational, going 2-3 and giving head coach Jake Bucki his first look at some potential lineup looks as he enters his eighth season heading the girls program.

Four of the meets came against Wisconsin Valley Conference opponents with the Raiders knocking off D.C. Everest and Merrill. The fifth meet was against Altoona, a team Bucki expects to be a WIAA Division 2 sectional contender come October.

“We are in the middle of the pack (in the GNC),” Bucki said. “To play with Everest and almost get the win against Wisconsin Rapids, it was good to get those meets. It showed the girls where they are and where they need to improve.”

On day one of the tournament, Medford went 1-2 against a trio of Valley Conference squads. A 4-3 victory over D.C. Everest was secured with two singles and two doubles wins. The Raiders almost got a doubles sweep.

In flight two, Kierstyn Halopka and Chloe Werner eased to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Madeline Bublik and Kaitlyn Smith, while Christine Czeshinski and Alyssa Brandner rolled to a 6-0, 6-3 win over Kylie Koch and Mila Bublik in flight three.

The number-one match went to a 10-point, third-set tiebreaker where Everest’s Nya Harrington and Lola Harrington won 10-6 to take the match after exchanging 6-4 wins in the first two sets with Myah Smith and Eryka Seidl.

Morgan Huegli won a good numbertwo singles match with Kyra Loomans 6-4, 6-3 and Audrey Ruesch easily took care of Makenna Kampmann 6-2, 6-0 in the number-four match. Makayla Motte swept Everest’s Madison Sazama 6-0 in the first set of their number-three match, but Sazama stormed back to win the match with 6-4, 10-6 wins in the last two sets. Nina Allen won a competitive number-one match with Raider junior Masaeda Krug 6-4, 6-3.

Wisconsin Rapids won two doubles matches and got a three-set win in singles play to edge Medford 4-3 in the day’s second meet.

Huegli won her number-two match 6-3, 6-4 over Jenna Wentland and Ruesch took care of Julia Krueger 6-0, 6-3 at number- four to give Medford a pair of singles wins. Motte beat Hayley Jensen 6-3 in the first set at number-three, but Jensen edged Motte 7-5 in a tight second set and used that momentum to beat Motte in the third set.

Corinne Sazama won a first-set tiebreaker in the top flight against Krug and went on from there to take a 7-6, 6-3 win.

Czeshinski and Brandner were 6-4, 7-5 winners in a back-and-forth numberthree doubles match with Alegh Weight and Sierra Dillingham. Teagann Bondioli and Abbey Gust defeated Smith and Seidl 6-0, 6-1 in flight one and Sawyer Holdberg and Aleeya Leach downed Halopka and Werner 6-2, 6-1 in flight two.

The Wausau West Warriors were 6-1 winners over Medford to close out Monday’s play. Huegli and Krug teamed up for Medford’s lone victory, taking the number-one doubles match 6-1, 6-2 over Hannah Baumann and Mackenzie Bautch. Chloe Vandenberg and Kylie Dreager defeated Smith and Seidl 6-2, 6-3 in flight two and Miranda Nelson and Rachel Harder won a good one at numberthree over Halopka and Werner 7-6 (5), 6-3.

West had no trouble in singles play. Mia Bailey beat Motte in flight one 6-0, 6-0, Alexis Kloth downed Ruesch in flight two 6-0, 6-0, Ruby Edmundson swept Czeshinski 6-0, 6-0 at number-three and Lilly Wittwer beat Brandner 6-1, 6-0 at number-four.

Day two

Medford started play Tuesday with an easy 6-1 win over the short-handed Merrill Blue Jays, who did not enter any doubles teams for the dual. That gave Smith and Seidl, Halopka and Werner and Czeshinski and Brandner forfeit wins.

Huegli was on top of her game while filling the number-one singles spot, beat- ing Lauren Cohrs 6-0, 6-2. Motte rolled past Chloe Belant 6-1, 6-1 at number-three and Ruesch swept Kaytlyn Hulke 6-0, 6-0 at number-four.

Merrill’s only win came at numbertwo, where Sarah Rell edged Krug 6-2, 7-6 (5).

“Masaeda played tough. That girl would just not give up a point,” Bucki said.

Altoona won the second dual of the day 6-1. Werner and Halopka secured Medford’s lone win at number-three doubles.

At number-one doubles, Krug and Huegli were matched up against Altoona’s state team from a year ago, juniors Josie Rondestvedt and Bella Bauer, and were beaten 6-0, 6-1.

“I knew their doubles team was really, really good,” Bucki said. “I wanted to see where Masaeda and Morgan would be at. Well I didn’t know their doubles team was going to be that good. They’ll be a top four seed (at state). I’m sure of it. They’re legit.”

Smith and Seidl fell at number-two doubles. Motte, Ruesch, Czeshinski and Brandner were defeated in singles.

Getting into this meet forced Medford to reschedule its Great Northern Conference opener with Stevens Point Pacelli to Sept. 6. The Raiders will now begin conference play Tuesday, Aug. 23 when they host the Phillips Loggers at 4:30 p.m. A meet at Rhinelander originally scheduled for Aug. 25 was moved to Aug. 29.

Medford is at the Altoona Invitational Aug. 26-27.