NET RETURN: BHS tennis squad welcomes back 10 of 13 starters
Whatever challenges the Bartlesville High tennis program eyes this spring, lack of experience is not one of them.
True that on the girls side, the Lady Bruins graduated their No. 1 (Maddie Shelley) and No. 2 (Annabelle Kelly) singles players.
But, they welcome back four varsity-proven talents in Parker Cox, Ava Kelly, Brook Franks and Julia Osburn.
Veteran head coach Bryan Reese said Bella Gustafson and Julia McKissick are moving up to varsity. The pair won the junior high No. 2 doubles state title last season.
As of last week, Reese said McKissick and Osburn were working out at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively.
“You can’t really replace a Maddie Shelley,” he said.
Despite a spate of hard luck during her high school tennis years, Shelley placed third in state at No. 1 singles (2019) and as the championship runner-up (2022).
The spring illness lockdown for all athletes cost her her 2020 season and injury prevented her from competing for most of 2021.
On the boys side, Reese saw six of his seven players back from a year ago — Jack Auschwitz, Mark Shaw, Will Bolding, Owen May, Cade Winter and Bash White.
The breakdown going into the season will be Auschwitz at No. 1 singles, Shaw at No. 2, Bolding and May at No. 1 singles and Winter and White at No. 2 singles.
Bode Doenges is the varsity non-returnee. Last year he split his spring between tennis and soccer, but this year is going full-time soccer, Reese noted.
All the players have made much progress, Reese said.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville High tennis teams returns several veterans
