CASHMERE – The Tonasket boys’ tennis team won one match and lost one match while the girls lost two matches last week.

On Tuesday, April 19, the Tigers played in Chelan where the boys won 3-2 and the girls lost 1-4.

Winning for the boys were first singles player senior Lee Leavell 6-0, 6-0, second singles player senior Brett Hendrick 6-0, 6-1 and third singles player junior Anthony Verhasselt 6-1, 6-3. First doubles team senior Aaron Bharucha and junior Russell Perry lost 3-6, 0-6 and second doubles team freshmen Brian Hendrick and Trevor Terris lost 0-6, won 6-1 and then lost 3-6.

Winning for the girls was first singles player sophomore Megan Beyers 7-6 (8-6), 6-1. Second singles player sophomore Michaela Newton lost 0-6, 0-6, third singles player senior Stephanie Chua lost 0-6, 1-6, first doubles team junior Cayla Monroe and Michelle Timmerman lost 2-6, 0-6 and second doubles team sophomores Grace Maldonado and Claire Thornton lost 1-6, 1-6.

“The team did fairly well,” Head Coach Dave Buchheim said. “The boys’ doubles both had slow starts but they came back and played well, especially Brian Hendrick and Terris. Beyers is still undefeated and the girls did okay.”

On Saturday, April 24, the Tigers played in Cashmere were the boys lost 2-3 and the girls lost 1-4.

Leavell won at first singles 6-3, 6-0 and Brett Hendrick won at second singles 6-0, 6-0. Verhasselt won his first set 7-6 but lost the next two 2-6, 2-6. Bharucha and Perry lost 2-6, 1-6 as first doubles team while Brian Hendrick and Terris lost as second doubles team 1-6, 3-6.

Beyers won for the girls 6-3, 6-2. Newton lost 2-6, 0-6 at second singles while sophomore Emily Schell lost at third singles 0-6, 0-6. Monroe and Timmerman lost as first doubles team 1-6, 4-6 while Chua and Thornton lost as second doubles team 0-6, 1-06.

“This was probably the best the team has played as a team,” Buchheim said. “Verhasselt did great against his opponent, who was probably the best high school kid I’ve ever seen. Timmerman and Monroe also played great against a team that went to state last year. It was nice to see Schell playing singles and Chua and Thornton played doubles together for the first time.”

He added that the team is definitely improving and that every week he sees them playing better.

As of press time, the Tigers (boys 6-1, 8-2, girls 0-7, 2-8) had not yet played at home against Omak on Monday, April 25 or in Liberty Bell on Tuesday, April 26. They will next play at home against Cascade on Saturday, April 30 beginning at 11 a.m.

“Cascade will be a tough match,” Buchheim said. “It’ll be a good challenge for the team.”