WAKEENEY, Kan. — The Osborne High School girls tennis team kicked off its varsity season on Thursday, Aug. 27, competing against a strong field at the Trego Invitational. Facing off against host Trego, Norton, Phillipsburg, and Goodland, the Bulldogs displayed grit and potential as a newly restructured squad stepping up to fill the shoes of six graduated seniors.
In singles play, junior Chloe Hougaard made her varsity debut at the #1 singles spot, finishing the day 1-3 with a victory over Norton while taking tough losses to Trego, Phillipsburg, and Goodland. At #2 singles, freshman Kirsten Mans mirrored that performance, going 1-3 and also securing a win against her opponent from Norton.
Osborne’s doubles teams proved to be strong points for the Bulldogs, both finishing with 2-2 records on the day:
- #1 Doubles: The senior-freshman duo of Claire Mick and Hallie Mick picked up victories over Goodland and Norton while dropping matches to Phillipsburg and Trego. Their battle against Trego—a duo that placed eighth at the state tournament last season—was a highlight of the day, with the Mick sisters taking the state-ranked pair to a competitive tiebreaker set before narrowly falling.
- #2 Doubles: Senior Abbi Spurgin and freshman Avery Choate teamed up to notch solid wins against Norton and Goodland, dropping their remaining two matches to finish even on the afternoon.
With a mix of veteran leadership and promising newcomers, the team demonstrated that they are ready to step into key roles and build momentum as the season progresses.
Looking Ahead The Osborne Varsity squad will be back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Phillipsburg Tournament starting at 1:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Junior Varsity team—assisted by coach Jolene Mick and featuring sophomores Libby Carlin and Norah Kendig—is gearing up for its own competition on Thursday, Sept. 3, also in Phillipsburg at 3:00 p.m.
