Staff report
BUCYRUS — After defeating Mansfield St. Peter’s, 5-0, Monday afternoon at Maple Lake Park, the Bucyrus girls’ tennis team finished the regular season with a record of 10-8. Tuesday’s scheduled makeup match at River Valley was rained out.
Playing an independent schedule, including several Division I schools, the Lady Red were able to shake off a slow start and illnesses, rallying to win seven of their last eight matches. Bucyrus also finished third in the River Valley Invitational.
Sophomore Caleigh Rister, playing mostly singles, leads the team with a 15-4 record despite missing 3 matches with an illness. Alivia Lewis has had a strong senior season in singles and doubles, finishing her final year with a record of 17-5.
Other players having a very good season were doubles players Sarah Lipscomb (14-8) and Allyson Zornes (16-6). Senior Arli Hinkle, junior Natalee Prederie, sophomore Sarah Scott and freshmen Katie Kuhn rounds out the varsity line up.
Sectional tournament play begins Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at Shelby High School, with a rain site of Lakewood Racket Club in Lexington. Rister and Lewis finished in the top four out of 26 teams in doubles last year at sectionals, which allowed them to advance to the Bowling Greens District Tournament.
Bucyrus will lose four seniors but will return four letter winners next season and a JV team that had a winning record.