Central tennis teams trek to Texas
Central College
PELLA—The Central College men’s and women’s tennis teams will travel to Texas over spring break for a chance to play outdoors against top-level competition.
The Dutch tackle the Univ. of Texas-Dallas Monday at noon before facing Howard Payne Univ. at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Central meets Tyler Community College, the men’s and women’s National Junior College Athletic Association 2010 champions, in an exhibition match Wednesday.
“All three of our opponents are really strong teams,” coach Steve Tyler said. “It will be a good experience for us.”
On the men’s side, Texas-Dallas sports a 6-3 record. Howard Payne is 4-2 and Tyler CC sits at 6-2. Central, 2-8, is at the midway mark in its regular season and will work on tightening the mental portion of the team’s play.
“We’re trying to get ready for our remaining league matches,” Tyler said. “Those will determine where we’re seeded in the Iowa Conference tournament, the pinnacle of our season.
“We want to recapture some of our confidence and work on the mental aspect of the game,” Tyler said.
The Dutch will take its top nine players on the trip. At No. 1, senior Dan Bowser (Fort Dodge); No. 2, junior Seth Harris (Waverly, Neb., Waverly HS); No. 3, sophomore Bryn Boswell (Pella); No. 4, freshman Kyle Freischlag (Downers Grove, Ill., Downers Grove South HS); No. 5, senior Jacob Dreyer (Cedar Falls); No. 6, freshman Zane Hendricks (Fort Dodge); No. 7, freshman John Seier (Lincoln, Neb., Waverly HS); No. 8 sophomore Ryan Shuey (Corning); and No. 9, freshman Erik Bay (Decorah).
On the women’s side, Texas-Dallas is 4-2, Howard Payne is 1-5 and Tyler CC is 10-1. The Dutch will open the non-traditional portion of their season in Texas.
“We primarily want to get ready for the fall by getting some matches under our belt,” Tyler said. “We’ll work on stroke development and getting into better shape.”
Eight players will rotate in the lineup. At No. 1, senior Sara Dale (Marshalltown); No. 2, junior Emily Swartz (Eldora, South Hardin HS); No. 3, senior Carissa Bane (Des Moines, Southeast Polk HS); No. 4, sophomore Chelsea Johnson (Mount Vernon); No. 5, freshman Cairn Reisch (Kalamazoo, Mich., Ostego HS) and rotating at No. 6, freshman Blake Taylor (Tama, South Tama HS), Nicole Curren (Cedar Falls, Northern University HS) and Samantha Wills (West Burlington).
The Dutch have also planned a few team activities and a stop for practice at the 24-court Oklahoma City Tennis Center at Will Rogers Park.
