Cascade boys tennis earns first league victory, girls go 2-0

The Cascade High School tennis teams played two Caribou Trail League matches on their home courts, one against Omak on April 9 and the second with Okanogan two days later.

Both Kodiak teams fared well against the Pioneers, with identical 4-1 wins. The victory brought the Kodiak boys their first team win of the season, as well as snapped a six-match losing streak.

The Kodiaks swept Omak in singles play with No. 1 Hans Schlyer, No. 2 Kayden Peterson and No. 3 Josh Pedersen all picking up wins. The No. 2 doubles team of Chase Runions and James Dickinson added an insurance point for Cascade.

"It was great to see Hans (Schlyer) get another victory, he's working very hard but always has to go up against the best player on the other team," Head Coach Mark Hassinger said. "He played great and won in straight sets. Chase (Runions) and James (Dickinson) played their first match together as a team and worked very well together."

The Cascade girls also stomped Omak in singles, with No. 1 Dorothy Espinosa leading the way with her win.

"It's really fun to see Dorothy coming into that No. 1 singles spot," Hassinger said. "She is a very smart player and I know we've not seen her best stuff yet." 

No. 2 Kolby Hunt and No. 3 Molly Wiser both earned victories. The duo of Megan Evans and Stella Johnson, playing at the No. 1 doubles spot, added another win under their belts.

Against Okanogan, the Cascade girls earned a 3-2 win, while the boys lost 5-0.

Wiser was moved to the No. 1 singles spot and earned a 6-1, 6-3 win.

"She has been practicing very well and is making great strides forward," Hassinger said of Wiser's progress.

Cascade clinched the match after wins in doubles. No. 1 Evans and Johnson added another victory while No. 2 Rory Swaboda and Isabel Rodriguez picked up the second team points to give Cascade the match.

Hassinger noted that both Evans and Johnson are playing well together and have not lost as a team this season.

During the match, Leora Aurillo made her varsity debut at the No. 3 singles spot. Although she lost via a third-set tiebreaker, Hassinger said she "played great," in a big-match atmosphere.

"She fought really hard and will only get better from that experience," Hassinger added.

Cascade takes a break from CTL action on April 15 with a nonleague match at home against Wenatchee's JV squad.

The Cascade boys (1-4 CTL, 1-7 overall) are fourth in the conference standings while the second-place Kodiak girls (3-1, 3-5) are half-a-match behind league-leading Cashmere.

With the regular season at its midpoint, Hassinger said both of the Kodiak teams continue to improve on the court.