Local Sports: Legendary Monroe tennis coach Ward Olson passes away
MONROE – Ward Olson, who coached the varsity tennis team at Monroe from 1972 to 1995, passed away recently at the age of 94.
Olson, a 1957 Michigan State graduate, began his coaching career in 1958 when he started a tennis team at Cantrick Middle School.
He moved on to become Monroe’s varsity coach in 1972 and won 247 boys matches and 160 with the girls.
He was inducted into the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame in 1994. He also was a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
CROSS COUNTRY
Jefferson sweeps titles
MILAN – Jefferson’s boys and girls both captured Division 2 titles in the Milan Puddle Jumpers Invitational Tuesday.
The girls had 27 points to 44 for Grosse Ile, 70 for Dundee and 87 for Milan.
Jefferson’s Jenna Pilachowski was the individual winner in 19:19.53. Teammates Kim Miller, Riley Peer, Mia Schroeder and Alyssa Masserant ran 5-7-9-13.
Megan Woelkers was second for Flat Rock, Dundee’s Kaylee Hovey sixth and Amerie Wilson of Milan eighth.
Jefferson’s boys had 37 points to shade Flat Rock by a single point. Dundee (79) was third and Milan (119) fifth.
Isaak Rubley of Dundee was the individual winner in 16:39.98 followed by Jacob Stanislawski, Natha Vargo and Lucas Taraszkiewicz of Flat Rock.
Jefferson took five of the next six spots with William Steinhour (5), Ben Merkel (6), Nolan West (7), Andrew Hintz (9) and Luke Masserant (10).
Parker Prior ran 14th to lead Milan.
“I was extremely pleased with our aggressiveness,” Jefferson coach Phil Speare said.
Bovair, Masters win
OTTAWA LAKE – Airport’s Courtney Bovair and Keegan Masters of Whiteford were champions Tuesday in the Nick Haynes Invitational at Whiteford.
Masters ran 18:07.8 to rule the Junior-Senior Boys race. Callum Bell of Airport ran third and Austin Sulier and Parker Campbell of Erie Mason sixth and ninth.
Bovair was the Junior-Senior Girls winner in 21:18.9.
Erie Mason had Bailey Meiring take fourth, Elizabeth Lambert seventh and Mikaela Graves 10th. Whiteford’s Emily Rasor took fifth and Emily Sell of Airport eighth.
William Dobbertin of Airport was fifth and Mason’s Brayden Hincher 10th in Freshman-Sophomore Boys. Top finishers in Freshman-Sophomore Girls were Braelynn Chiotti of Whiteford (fourth), Riley England (seventh) and Alexis Colburn (eighth) of Mason and Madison Kemp of Airport (10th).
PREP VOLLEYBALL
Ida tops Mason
ERIE – Gabby Gobrecht recorded 10 kills and four blocks as Ida held off Erie Mason 25-23, 25-20, 8-25, 26-24 Tuesday.
Ellie Jones, Mia Karl and Kennedy Albring added seven kills each. Ellie Jones (22 digs) and Jessica Schrader (17 digs) led the defense.
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“Tonight was a tough match,” Ida coach Ashley Begeman said. “Mason definitely battled hard the entire time and we had to work for it. Defensively, we played well and that was a difference-maker for us.”
State Line wins opener
TEMPERANCE – Aliyah King had a string of 10 straight points in the first set and 12 in a row in the second as State Line Christian opened the season by beating Pittsford Freedom Farm 25-8, 25-4 Tuesday.
“We have been working hard on thinking through each play and every touch of the ball,” said new State Line coach Carrie Newbold. “It was fun to watch them execute things we have been practicing.”
PREP SOCCER
Monroe pulls away
MONROE – Monroe pulled away late to turn back Ida 6-0 Tuesday.
“After a somewhat fortunate early goal it took us over an hour to add to the lead,” Monroe coach Ian Cooke said. “Tim’s (Ida coach Tim Allen) team made us work extremely hard to find gaps and when we did create chances the defending and goalkeeping was outstanding.”
Monroe spread the wealth with Evan Ortiz, Jovanny Gallegos, Vishwas Joshi, Bryson Lane, Aiden Gray and Talen Swinkey all scoring.
Gallegos and Swinkey were credited with two assists each and Luis Diaz one.
Ida’s junior varsity beat Chelsea 3-2 behind strong play by Mason Reynolds, Evan Tangler, Kaleb Mannor, Leo Godfrey and Max Nadeau.
Hendrix logs shutout
TEMPERANCE – Sophomore Ian Hendrix recorded his first career shutout to lead State Line Christian to a 5-0 win over Pittsford Freedom Farm Tuesday.
Cooper Worley had three assists and five players scored for the 1-2 Patriots.
PREP SWIMMING
Three Vikings double
RIVERVIEW – Kaylee Imo (50 freestyle, breaststroke), Joslyn Ball (individual medley, butterfly), and Lily Ratliff (100 freestyle, backstroke) all were double winners as Dundee split a tri meet Tuesday.
The Vikings beat Riverview 105-80 but dropped a 95-91 heartbreaker against Allen Park.
Sara Carter won the 500 freestyle and Dundee ruled the 200 freeestlye relay with Imo, Kaylee Desbrough, Ball and Carter and the 400 relay with Carter, Brook Hester, Ball and Ratliff.
Williams hits cuts
MILAN – Annabelle Williams hit state-qualifying times in winning the individual medley and 500-yard freestyle to lead Milan to a 111-68 win over Ypsilanti Lincon Tuesday.
Also winning with state cuts were Kam Stripp (200) and Kiera Luhrs (100). Other wins came from Kaylin Brown (diving), Mary Kate Wayne (butterfly), Sara Mitchell (backstroke) and the 200 relay of Nemeth, Hannah Brady, Luhrs and Stripp.
PREP TENNIS
Milan’s Johnson wins
MILAN – Sawyer Johnson’s win at No. 2 singles was the only point Milan mustered in a 7-1 loss to Tecumseh Tuesday.
Milan also traveled to Midland on Friday to take part in an eight team tournament and finished fourth at the Bill Baum Invite.
Monroe cut short
ANN ARBOR – Monroe trailed Ann Arbor Huron 7-0 Tuesday when the match was halted by rain.
Monroe’s Azariah Duran had split the first two sets at No. 1 singles and led 1-0 in the third when the match was halted.
Big win for Nejedlik
TEMPERANCE – Jaxon Nejedlik posted an impressive 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles, but that was Bedford’s lone point in a 7-1 loss to Saline Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Local Sports: Legendary Monroe tennis coach Ward Olson passes away
