Winning convincingly

Sara Williamson and Maddie Frey stepped up their games in helping the Creston/Orient-Macksburg girls tennis team to a 7-2 home win Thursday over Audubon.

Williamson used her slicing forehand and was more aggressive at the net than meets past as she won 8-4 in No. 4 singles and joined teammate Heylee Shields in winning 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, as her serve clinched the match.

“She has definitely figured out how to keep going in a match when she’s down,” Panther assistant coach Amanda Plymale said. “She has come over that frustration of when she’s down, she knows she can keep going. Even with her doubles, coming to the net a lot more tonight was really good to see.”

Frey won her singles match 8-1 as she displayed confidence with her swing and went on with teammate Karly Calvin to win No. 3 doubles 8-2.

“She’s (Frey) doing really well. She’s not scared to hit the ball,” Plymale said. “She comes out and she swings and plays hard and she doesn’t get frustrated at all. She’s a very stoic player.”

Plymale noted across the board that the Panthers’ serves looked better, and that she has been pleased to see more consistency as Creston/O-M has been able to hit the courts more.

UP NEXT — Creston/O-M will have a chance to get in some needed repitition today (Friday) at the Knoxville tournament, which is double elimination. Monday, the Panthers will travel to face off against a powerful Ballard squad.

Doubles madness

BALLARD — Creston/O-M boys tennis focused on its doubles tandems in Thursday’s road competition at Ballard.

The Panthers, Bombers and Kumper Catholic Knights worked namely on doubles competition, trying something different.

“I really thought the event worked well today. We talked about doing something different and having three teams there really kept tonight interesting,” Creston/O-M head coach Kevin Cooper said. “Ballard and Carroll-Kuemper are always two of the toughest teams we play, and tonight was no different. I really felt tonight was beneficial to some of our younger players. They got to get out and see some kids that are the same level as them and got to compete on a bigger stage than they are used to.”

Three Panthers doubles pairs pulled out wins, those being the No. 3 duo of Carson Thompson and Mark Waigand, the No. 4 group of Eli Hartman and Dylan Anson and the No. 6 doubles pair of Kendall Crawford and James McDonald.

The top Panthers doubles pair of Jacob Cook and Jaden Driskell had their hands full with formidable foes, as they fell 8-1 to Ballard and 8-3 to Kuemper.

“Today was a tough day for Jacob and Jaden at the top of our lineup,” Cooper said. “They really struggled with consistency, and when you are only playing to eight, that can get out of hand quickly. They will get another chance on Saturday to gather themselves and play better.”

Girls: Creston/O-M 7, Audubon 2

Singles — Megan Haley, C/O-M, def. Gwen Jensen, Aud, 8-4; Chloe Hagle, C/O-M, def. McKenna Nielsen, Aud, 8-2; Heylee Shields, C/O-M, def. Mary Svoboda, Aud, 8-4; Sara Williamson, C/O-M, def. Rachel Mosinski, Aud, 8-4; Maddie Frey, C/O-M, def. Clare Christensen, Aud, 8-1; Amber Campbell, Aud, def. Karly Calvin, C/O-M, 8-1.

Doubles — Jensen/Nielsen, Aud, def. Hagle/Haley, C/O-M, 8-6; Shields/Williamson, C/O-M, def. Mosinski/Svoboda, Aud, 8-6; Frey/Calvin, C/O-M, def. Christensen/Campbell, Aud, 8-2.

Boys doubles results

Doubles:  Caleb Hamerlinck/Max Olsan, Ball, def. Jacob Cook/Jaden Driskell, C/O-M, 8-1; Cam Pille/Justin Schroeder, KC, def. Cook / Driskell, C/O-M, 8-3; Chase Winterboer / Seth Wohlgemuth, Ball, def.  Dustin Merritt/ Walker Patterson, C/O-M, 8-3; Tanner Finken/ Luke HIcks, KC, def. Merritt / Patterson, C/O-M, 8-1; Carson Thompson/ Mark Waigand, C/O-M, def. Jacob Alden/ Tanner De Maris, Ball, 8-6; Cole Uhlenkamp/ Kyle Ricke, KC, Thompson/Waigand, C/O-M 8-4; Colin Anderson/ Codey Erickson, Ball, def. Eli Hartman/ Dylan Anson, C/O-M, 8-2; Hartman / Anson, C/O-M, def. Blake Pottebaum/ Will Pugh, KC, 8-3; Nathan Wuestenberg/Peyton Culp, Ball, def. James Kunz/ Daniel Merritt, C/O-M, 8-1; Michael Schreck/Jacob Schreck, KC, def. Kunz/Merritt, C/O-M, 8-6; Carter Harms/Logan Gogerty, Ball, def. Kendall Crawford/James McDonald, C/O-M, 8-1; Crawford / McDonald, C/O-M, def. Isaac Meyers/Matt Janson, KC, 8-7.