Meredith Roethling earns clinching point

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 26, 2011 1:47 PM

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Slow and steady wins the race ... well ... then again, a tennis match.

Meredith Roethling proved it Thursday afternoon.

The sophomore collected the match-clinching point at No. 6 singles and lifted the unbeaten Chargers to a 7-2, non-conference triumph over county rival Wayne Christian on the Wayne Community College courts.

"She's my 'steady Eddie.' She clinched the conference tournament for us last year, too," beamed third-year WCDS head coach Joann Logan, who high-fived Roethling after her match. "She can stay out there and play (all day). The Wayne Christian girl (Abigail Easom) played well, but Meredith does not give up.

"It's her (good) attitude."

Wayne Country Day (2-0 overall) earned five singles points in hot, humid conditions. Top-seeded Gianna Democko, who joined the team this season, defeated defending state champion Faith Sutton 8-1. Sutton won the third-flight singles title during the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association championship meet last season.

Junior Sarah Best, senior Katherine Roethling and sophomore Mollie Catherine McDonald also earned a pro-set (eight-game) win.

"They got out there and took care of business," said Logan. "There were a few little nerves, but they just played their match. That's what I like."

Elizabeth Sutton claimed the Eagles' lone singles point.

"I feel like we have the shots down, but we just need to be more consistent," said Wayne Christian head coach Dana Willman. "Their team could get more balls back in play, didn't necessarily hit it any harder than we did, but kept it in play.

"We would make the error."

The Chargers seized two of three doubles points.

Democko-K. Roethling rolled past Elizabeth Sutton-Bryanna Means, 8-1, at the No. 2 slot. The third-seeded tandem of M. Roethling-Abbey Pope doubled up the Eagles' Ally Willman-Abigail Easom 8-4.

Faith Sutton-Taylor Willman stopped Best-Mack Thompson, 8-3, at No. 1 doubles.

"I think they were nervous going onto the court and that could have played into them making a lot more errors, also," said coach Willman. "We were able to rally with them. The scores didn't reflect how they matched up as far as their hitting, we just made more errors than they did.

"We knew Wayne Country Day would be really tough this year."