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Witte's run ends in second round

COLUMBUS — Lakota West freshman Ashleigh Witte got the case of the butterflies.

Literally.

Down 4-1 in her Division I second-round state match with Dublin Jerome's Kate Turvy, Witte had to retire with a stomach illness. West coach Bryan Skoog said Witte was dealing with stomach cramps all day.

"Anytime you don't get to show your best and compete, it's not an easy way to end it," Skoog said. "Things were going pretty good for her. Unfortunately, it just struck at the wrong moment.

"Ashleigh has had a great ride."

Indeed.

Witte became the program's first state-qualifier in singles, finishing with a 30-7 record on the season.

She won her first-round match over Warren Howland's Stephanie Gula 6-3, 6-3.

"Just to be in this environment and experience the excitement as a freshman," Skoog said, "it could be a little bit of the butterflies, too, in there with everything else. Maybe having the experience will help her out next year and make it a little bit more comfortable."

It was one and done for Fenwick's Caitlin O'Gara and Maggie Sullivan at Friday's Division II state tennis tournament.

The sophomore tandem — owners of one of the four No. 1 seeds — were upset in the first round by Gates Mills Hawken's Gioia Garden and Tina Beilinson 6-4, 6-4.

The loss was their first as a doubles team (9-1), as the two paired up for the postseason after serving as the Falcons' top two singles players in the regular season.

"They were a little excited; didn't know what to expect," Fenwick coach Mary Joseph said. "It's a great experience for them. Now they know what to expect when they get back here."

Garden and Beilinson — both seniors and the fifth seed out of the Massillon district —erased a 4-1 second-set deficit by changing their strategy.

They both moved to the back line, and it proved beneficial, as they captured five straight games to grab the victory.

"Those two girls were well-rounded tennis players," Joseph said. "Experience I think took over in the second set. They did not get rattled at all. I thought my kids held their own and kept composed. I think they'll be back."

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5113 or smatthews@coxohio.com.