Players battle competition, heat at Lima City Tournament

LIMA - Eight teams competed in the Lima City Tournament at Collett Street Courts on Saturday with champions crowned in four singles divisions and three doubles divisions.

Lima Central Catholic, Celina and Ottawa-Glandorf each had two champions while St. Marys had one.

Lima Senior's coach Deb Williams said the tournament is good for the tennis community.

"They get to play a lot of different variety of players which is difficult because you can't do that in a regular match," Williams said. "It's a good thing for the city of Lima."

In team competition, Celina and St. Marys tied for first with 14 points apiece followed by Ottawa-Glandorf with 12, while Wapakoneta and Van Wert each had nine points. Lima Central Catholic had eight points followed by Bluffton with four and Lima Senior with two.

In the A Singles Division, Lima Central Catholic's Ashley Swick defeated St. Marys' Megan Dominik 7-5, 6-2 to capture the championship. Swick is 8-0 on the season.

"I knew there we going to be some good players in the tournament," Swick said. "I knew Megan was a good player and I knew that if I did not play my best it would not go my way. I worked really hard to get my first serve in and then approach the net once in a while.

Swick defeated Celina's Amber Jaeger 6-2, 7-6 in her first match to advance to the finals.

"I try to make my opponent move so the ball usually comes back to the middle of the court," Swick said. "My serving was the key to the matches."

In the B Singles Division, St. Marys' Kelly Fritz defeated Wapakoneta's Ricki Oen 6-0, 6-2. Fritz cruised to the finals defeating Bluffton's Ashlin Gable 6-0, 6-0 and Megan Schroeder 6-0, 6-1.

Celina's Shelby Decker did not drop a set as she defeated Van Wert's Gretchen Kliker 6-4, 6-2 to capture the C Singles Division. Decker defeated St. Marys' Amy Ellis and Wapakoneta's Ashley Beach en route to the win.

"It's a good experience for them to play long days and play lots of tennis," Celina coach Jan Morrison said. "They'll get better today.

Ottawa-Glandorf's Megan Lanwehr captured the Titans' only singles championship in the D Division as she knocked off Bluffton's Kristi Geiser 6-0, 6-3.

In doubles action, Celina's team of Kinzie Gardner and Sara Dorsten knocked off the duo of Lydia Krugh and Marian Krugh 6-1, 6-2 in the finals of the A Doubles Division.

LCC's team of Alexis Sheets and Ashley Mooney defeated Wapakoneta's team of sophomore Olivia Nelson and freshman Makenzie Klock, 6-2, 6-4, to win the B Doubles Division. Nelson and Klock needed three games to get out of the first round, including a 13-11 third set.

"We have a lot of young girls," Wapakoneta coach Mike Klock said. "On a day like this (hot and humid) they are going to feel it."

The O-G tandem of Utendorf and Leatherman won two matches to capture the C Doubles Division.