Grafton tennis in rebuilding mode

Longtime tennis coach John Kangas came into the Grafton job knowing what he would have to do.

“We’re going to be in a rebuilding year,” he said.

The Black Hawks return a young team that has some experience.

No. 1 singles player Lydia Olson is a returning junior, No. 2 Taylor Wenten is back for her sophomore season and No. 3 Sierra Loughlin is back as a junior.

No. 4 Kate Aleknavicius is a sophomore.

Kangas said he wouldn’t be surprised if that order changes throughout the season.

“They’re all pretty competitive,” he said.

“They’re going to push each other.”

At No. 1 doubles, seniors Lily Sable and Thu Vo move up to varsity play. Senior Katie Schroeder and junior Jamie Kretlow are the No. 2 team, and at No. 3 will be sophomore Andrea Vanderlopp and either sophomore Hunter Bault or junior Savanah Leyer.

No doubles players have varsity experience, Kangas said.

Kangas will stick to the basics with his young team.

“We’re going to mainly be focusing on improving basic skills, strategies and great competitive attitudes,” he said.

“I think they all have good attitudes and open minds.”

Success and reaching the next level of play, he said, won’t always result in winning matches.

Numbers are strong with 26 girls making up the varsity and junior-varsity teams. Kangas doesn’t have to look far to inquire about the younger players. His wife Debra is the junior-varsity coach.

Kangas taught at Germantown for 39 years, coaching tennis for many of those, and taught and coached for seven years in Arizona before returning to Wisconsin.

Port Washington takes seventh at invite

The Pirates took seventh place of eight teams at the Washington County Invite on Saturday.

The No. 1 doubles team of Somers Welton and Laurn Krist took fourth by beating Kewaskum, 6-2, 6-3, “with the placement of the serves and by taking charges at the net,” coach Melonie Zielinski said.

The No. 2 doubles team of Chloe and Tess Schueller took fifth by beating Waukesha South, 6-4, 6-1,

“They communicated well, kept the ball and play and used their net game to end significant points,” Zielinski said.

Kaylee Doll at No. 1 singles took sixth in moving the ball around the court and outlast opponents on long points.