Crusader Preview: Wellington girls tennis team enters season with many question marks

August 30, 2023 Cueball

2023 Wellington girls tennis team. (Click to enlarge)

By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington girls’ tennis team finished third in its annual home season invitational Tuesday afternoon. Now it has the rest of the season to figure out what it is going to be in the end.

Brian Aufdengarten is entering his 23rd year as Wellington’s head high school girls’ tennis coach. He’s got two returning state placers and 17 girls out. But he feels the team is at a crossroads.

“I’m still trying to figure that out,” Aufdengarten responded to what he thought was his team’s strength. “We lost four very good experienced tennis players at the top.”

Gone are Jensen Lynnes, Ashlyn Gerten, and Kami Reichenberger, who qualified for state.

Coach Brian Aufdengarten is talking to Lyric Cornejo and his daughter Kadynce during season-opening tournament.

Returning will be two-time senior placer Lyric Cornejo (fifth in 2022 and fourth in 2021 in doubles at state) and Kadynce Aufdengarten – two-time junior state placer (11th in 2022, and eighth in 2021 in doubles).

Those two have started as a doubles team and may end up being a formidable duo once Class 4A Regionals roll around.

The other starters are unknown. Aufdengarten currently has listed five girls as potential starters.

•Logan Robinson is a sophomore singles player last year on varsity, possibly playing doubles this year.

•Cruz Cornejo is a sophomore who didn’t play because of a foot injury. She also could possibly play doubles.

Addie Hinshaw.

•Addie Hinshaw, a junior, played some varsity and junior varsity last season and went 14-9.

•Kyra Cornejo is a senior who played doubles last year in varsity and junior varsity and went 13-4.

•Kendall Janzen is a senior and played singles and double last season in both varsity and junior varsity going 18-5.

“We don’t have the best of depth like we had the past two seasons,” Aufdengarten said. “We graduated nine seniors last year and many that played varsity matches.

Lyric Cornejo.

As for Tuesday night, Wellington finished third behind Buhler and Goddard Eisenhower. Buhler won the event with 27 points, and Goddard finished second with 18. Wellington placed with 15, and W. Independent got 0.

Wellington finished third as a team in its season-opening home invitational held at Sellers Park. This is the same result Wellington finished last year. Wellington had two medalists and everyone finished with at least one win.

L. Cornejo and K. Aufdengarten were teamed up at No. 1 doubles and tied for first. They would lose to Stephanie and Reagan Best of Goddard Ike 8-4, but would come back to beat Hamby/Gillettee of Buhler 8-3, and Scheck/Flemming of Independence 8-0. Since the Buhler duo defeated Ike 8-6 for a three-way tie, Wellington won the tiebreaker by allowing the fewest points.

River Douglas.

In No. 2 singles, player Hinshaw finished second overall, going 2-1 for the day. She defeated Kelsey Dexter of Ike 8-5, and lost to Ashlyn Coker of Buhler 8-2 before defeating Independent’s Gillian Skelton in a wild 8-7(2) match.

The other Wellington entries were not nearly successful, finishing third.

River and Scout Douglas went 1-2, losing to Goddard Ike’s Waggoner/Werth 8-0, losing to Buhler’s Miller/Tanksley 8-0, before beating Indy’s O’Donnel/Reedy 8-0.