?Waynesville brought their season to a close today with the final round of individual districts.  Playing singles today was No. 2 Kaitlynn Wagner and No. 5 Jessica Goodson.  Kaitlynn paired off with Camdenton's No. 2, Maisy Borden, who finished fourth overall.  Kaitlynn put up a great fight but fell 2-6, 1-6.  On such an unusually windy day, it took a while to figure out just how to use the wind to her advantage.  Still yet, Kaitlynn played a great game of tennis and made some very solid shots today.  She definitely put up a fight and stayed close on Borden's heels, despite what the score may reflect.  Jessica Goodson drew the short end of the stick, unfortunately, facing today's Singles champion in the first round.  Jessica lost to Jeff City's No. 1, Athiria Nambiar, 0-6 1-6.  Jessica has made so many improvements this year.  To see where she began the season, and then looking at the player she is today, the difference is just unbelievable.  Unfortunately, Nambiar had impeccable ball placement and was always just one step ahead.  

 

In doubles, we saw No. 1 Lindzie King and No. 3 Paige Massey medal, taking 3rd place overall.   In the first round, the girls beat Camdenton's Blackwell/Emanuel duo 6-3, 6-0.  In the quarterfinals, Lindzie and Paige played a fantastic game of tennis against Jeff City's No. 2 team, Raithel/Schmidt, but fell 1-6, 0-6.  This Jeff City pair went on to take 2nd overall.  Lindzie and Paige then went on to battle Lebanon's No. 1 duo, Oberbeck/Qualls, winning 8-6 and solidifying their 3rd place finish, just barely falling short of a Sectionals advancement.  The second Waynesville doubles team, No. 4 Randi Anderlik and No. 6 Mollie Henry, just barely fell to Smith-Cotton's No. 1 team in a tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-4, 4-10.  The girls were down the majority of the match, but never gave up.  Randi and Mollie made a comeback in the second set, tying up the set score, 1-1.  Unfortunately, Smith-Cotton took the lead in the tiebreak third set, 4-10.  

 

It's really been an honor to watch this team grow this year.  With such a new group of players, it's been a major building year.  However, looking back at where we started and seeing where we have ended, I could not be more proud of their accomplishments.  The girls have come to develop a love for this game.  That's where it all begins.  Our shots have become more solid.  Our feet have become quicker, and our strategy has become more developed.  I'm excited to see the advancements we make during off-season and where it leads us for next year.