By Cort Reynolds
DEFIANCE - The Ada boys tennis team advanced two singles players to the district level with a pair of top-three performances in Div. II sectional play at Defiance Saturday.
Ada senior Zach Beaschler was the top seed in the singles flight at Defiance, and he showed why by winning handily all six sets he played. He received a first round bye in the 31-player field, then won 6-0, 6-1 in the second round over Saleh.
In the quarterfinals, Beaschler rolled over Sayre 6-0, 6-0 to reach the semifinals against Bulldog teammate Cade Mullins.
In the semis he defeated Mullins 6-1, 6-0. Then in the finals, Beaschler beat McGee of Ottawa Hills 6-4, 6-0 to run his record to 20-0 this spring.
Junior Mullins finished third in the singles tourney to also qualify for the Bowling Green district. Mullins won his first match over Darah 6-4, 6-0 and then rolled in round two 6-1, 6-0 over Assi of Ottawa Hills.
Mullins then lost to teammate Beaschler in the semis. But he rebounded to win the third-place match over Uribes of Waueson 6-1, 6-1 to improve to 16-3 this season.
Any top four finish at sectionals advances a player to districts.
Bulldog sophomore Isaac Spar won his first round match in singles play over Klingler of Bath by a 7-5, 6-0 count. But Spar then fell to Uribes 7-5, 6-4 in round two to be eliminated.
Freshman Miranda Wills and sophomore Nathan Hurtig received a first round bye in the doubles flight in the 22-team bracket.
Wills and Hurtig then defeated Kattar and Osman of MV 6-2, 6-0 to advance to round three. But after dropping a first-set tiebreaker to Bialorucki and Towne, they were knocked out a match win shy of district qualification by the third-seeded duo from Napoleon 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.
The Bulldog senior tandem of Acel Gamble and Adam Bailey rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win in their first round match over Goodman and Zhang.
But the duo then lost to Bais and Estes of OH 6-1, 6-0 to be eliminated from competition.
Beaschler and Mullins next compete at Bowling Green in Div. II district action Wednesday, May 16. The district semis and finals will be held Saturday, May 19.
Both Bulldogs made it to BG last year, with Beaschler advancing to the state tourney for the second time.
A top four finish at BG will send either to Mason for the state round of 16. In 2017, Beaschler advanced to the state quarterfinals before falling
