Bowden, Prater reach semifinals _ PHOTOS by Mark Andreasen

By Cort Reynolds

BRYAN__The Ada High School tennis team finished a solid fourth at the day-long, six-team Golden Bear Northern Buckeye Tennis League tournament in Bryan on Friday, May 8.

The Bulldog netters gave a solid showing at the Bryan outdoor courts on a chilly, windy day. Archbold, Evergreen, Bryan, Maumee, Wauseon and Ada competed.

Maumee won the tournament with 21 points, while host Bryan finished second with 16 points. Wauseon came in third with eight, followed by Ada with five points. 

Evergreen ended up fifth with three, and Archbold came in last with two points. 

“The Ada kids played their best tennis at this tournament, which is what we want to see,” said first-year Bulldog head coach Shelleigh Alexander. “We seem to have some confidence and mojo going our way. Hopefully, we can carry it over into sectionals.”

Ada senior Justin Bowden won two of three matches at the first singles flight to claim third place. He first defeated Wauseon’s Connor Mulhollen 6-3, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

Eventual first singles champion Joey Suelzer of Maumee beat Bowden in the semifinals 6-2, 6-1. But in the consolation match, Bowden rebounded to defeat Evergreen’s Kellen Schmidt 7-5, 6-2 and capture third.

Hard-serving Bulldog Brandon Prater also won his quarterfinal match in the second singles tournament. He defeated Tobias Heidenreich of Archbold 6-0, 6-0 to advance to the semifinals.

In the semis, Prater fell to Maumee’s Jack Cahill 6-1, 6-1. Prater bounced back to beat Wauseon’s Jake Dominique 6-2, 6-1 in the consolation bout to finish a solid third in the eight-player flight.

Bulldog junior Lawson Klingler played a tight match but lost his first rounder in the quarterfinals 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to be eliminated by Matthew Jenkins of Evergreen. 

Ada senior Sam Crawford and freshman Lucy Carter competed in the first doubles tournament. The Bulldog duo lost in the quarterfinals 6-0, 6-0 to the eventual tournament championship team of Colton Robinson and Solomon Canales from Maumee.

“Wauseon had a good pair of doubles players,” Alexander noted. 

At second doubles, the Ada junior tandem of Brooklynn Andreasen and Jaylin St. Laurent fell in the semifinals to the Maumee duo of Owen Sloan and Brayden Zimmerman by a 6-1, 6-1 score.

“We are really proud of the team and the way they are playing,” said the coach. 

In the consolation match, the Ada pair lost to the Bryan tandem of Simon Kellogg and Carter Montalvo in a third-set tiebreaker 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.

Andreasen and St. Laurent lost to the same Bryan Kellogg/Montalvo duo 6-3, 6-1 Thursday night in a dual match at Ada. 

“The girls played them much tougher than the night before in Ada,” said Alexander. “They took a set off the Bryan boys in the tournament, and played a close 10-point tiebreaker.

Ada lost 5-0 to visiting Bryan in a chilly makeup match on Thursday evening, May 7 at the park courts.

“We played without Justin at first singles,” said Alexander. “The kids are all playing with more confidence, and it’s beautiful to be a part of. They seem to be peaking at the right time.

“Our team seems to be executing the footwork and consistency we have been stressing all year,” Alexander offered. “Bowden and Prater’s mental games have strengthened these last few matches.

“It has been a true joy to see each player develop this season,” she noted. “Half of the team have just picked up racquets this season, and now they can keep the ball in play.”

Ada visits Bath in a makeup match on Monday, May 11. The Bulldogs (2-7) then host Fostoria in a makeup contest on Tuesday, May 12. Ada recently beat the Redmen 3-2 on the road on May 6.

Sectionals are at UNOH in Lima starting Thursday, May 14.