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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Doubles may be way to go for GSL

In casual talk prior to the tennis season, Gonzaga Prep coach Christian Birrer and Mead coach Bill Wagstaff were already looking down the road.

Both said that the Wenatchee boys will pose a dilemma for the Greater Spokane League come postseason.

“They are the strongest team in state this year, certainly the strongest in Eastern Washington,” Birrer said. “They have two of the top-10 ranked individuals in state.”

Birrer’s Bullpups played Wenatchee and West Valley-Yakima, a 3A school with two USTA ranked youth players. The idea was to face strong early-season competition.

“We don’t have any who are ranked,” Wagstaff said. “Usually, that’s a pretty good indicator of how well you’re going to do.”

That led Wagstaff to surmise that come postseason GSL teams might have a better shot at state by moving their top singles players into doubles.

That’s how it was last year when Ferris No. 1 singles player Tom Geranios teamed with Marshall McNally for a state doubles berth.

“It’s hard to say (though),” Wagstaff said, “They could go to singles and try and qualify.”

Any decision is still a month away. Area tennis teams have played just a handful of league matches.

Spring sports, half of the GSL offering, are condensed into the shortest period of time and at the mercy of the weather – which this year has been extraordinarily rainy.

The GSL returns to action Tuesday, featuring G-Prep at Central Valley girls, with seven of nine league contests yet to be played.

District begins May 9. The Inland Empire tournament is April 29 and 30.

Pullman girls perfect

Pullman’s girls are unbeaten this spring, including two combined victories in a mixed venue with the Greyhounds boys, 7-5 and 10-2 over Idaho neighbors Lewiston and Moscow.

The girls and boys each played three singles and two doubles matches – with the girls going 4-1 and 5-0, respectively. There were also two mixed-doubles contests, with Pullman winning three of the four.

Michael Cassleman, with different female partners, contributed in two of those mixed-doubles wins.

Including 7-0 shutouts in their first two Great Northern League girls matches over Medical Lake and Cheney, singles players Chanel Scudiero (3-0), Melissa Vollmer and Hannah Adams (both 4-0) were unbeaten prior to Thursday’s pivotal contest against Clarkston.

Vollmer lost in No. 1 singles to Clarkston’s KC McConnell, but Pullman pulled out a 4-3 decision for a 3-0 league record.

The Cheney boys are perfect to date, including wins over GSL teams Mt. Spokane and North Central. West Valley boys and girls started 2-0 in the GNL.

GSL golf

Round two of five Greater Spokane League gatherings is 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the boys at Wandermere and girls at Downriver.