SHS Tennis Varsity readying for Districts
The 2022 Suwannee High School Tennis Varsity Boys’ & Girls’ team is off to a good start, having won all but one of their matches, while they prepare for Districts! -Photo: Sydnie Sine
3-31-22 UPDATE: Boys team won against Wakulla – won first and second doubles and numbers 2, 3, 5 singles. Girls played well but fell to their girls. However, our #1 girl and our #1 girl’s doubles won.
Coach Mike says, "I have high hopes for them at districts. Needless to say I have the same high hopes for the entire boys team at districts. One more week of play then districts at Palatka on April 23, 13."
3-29-22
By Tami Stevenson
Live Oak, Fla., – Suwannee High’s tennis varsity teams are in high hopes of going to Districts this April, which will be held in Palatka, Florida, April 12 and 13. Coach Sydnie Sine and Coach Damon Wooley, along with Volunteer Coach Michael Ammundsen, have been training hard and are excited to have such determined, teachable students.
Coach Ammundsen said it has been a winning season for them as they have played Madison, Perry, Baker and Santa Fe, so far, and have only lost to Santa Fe, but hope to get another shot at them on April 7. “The game was close,” he stated.
They are playing Wakulla at Wakulla, March 29, as this paper goes to print, and are scheduled to play Madison at home on March 31 and Aucilla Christian at home on April 4.
Each team (boys and girls) play 5 single matches (1 thru 5) and 2 doubles. The double pairings are: No.1 doubles = the #1 and #2 players, the No.2 doubles = the #3 and #4 players. So each team plays 7 matches. Time permitting, the #6 players will play an exhibition match, according to Ammundsen.
“If we win that (Districts), we are off to Regionals with a possibility to make it to State. One step at a time,” Ammundsen said.
He added that he is the task-master. He says things like, “Did you play well? If you win, but you played badly, it’s nothing to me, you need to play well.”
Coach Sine came to coach at SHS this February and actually graduated from Suwannee High. She is excited to be teaching at the school she graduated from some twelve years ago. Prior to teaching Suwannee, she taught tennis in Tampa for the last ten years. She is a certified tennis coach and played on the Suwannee High team and her college team.
Coach Damon Wooley has been coaching at SHS for a number of years and handles most of the administrative work as well. He is proud to have his son, Jake playing on the boys’ team this year, in the number 4 position.
Coach Ammundsen is retired and enjoys being a volunteer. He has been playing tennis since he was seven years old, through high school, college and in the military. He says he just loves the sport!
Ammundsen said of the team, “They come out, they practice, when it’s over they want to stay longer. They have their heart and soul in it and I expect them to do quite well. They have improved since day one.”
The boys team includes: Loren Anderson, 12th Grade - 1st position, Gabe Bracken, 12th Grade - 2nd position, David Esco, 12th Grade - 3rd position, Jake Wooley, 11th Grade - 4th position, Evan McMillen, 9th Grade - 5th position and Calay Anderson, 9th Grade - 6th position.
The girls team includes: Mattilyn Marsee, 12th Grade - 1st position, Nellie Lamb, 12th Grade - 2nd position, Caroline Simpson, 12th Grade - 3rd position, Madison Dear, 10th Grade - 4th position, Tayah Johnson, 10th Grade - 5th position and Jennifer Hancock, 10th Grade - 6th position.
