Rochester boys tennis roundup: Zebras fall to Northwestern, finish 5-2 in TRC

Doubles teams both prevail in senior night loss to Logansport

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Harrison Dunwoody Ashton Musselman

Northwestern 5, Rochester 0

Capturing just eight games total, the Rochester boys tennis team lost to host Northwestern 5-0 in their regular season finale Wednesday.

Wade Bowers, Jackson Frounfelter and Camden Zink lost singles matches.

The doubles teams of Harrison Dunwoody and Ashton Musselman at No. 1 and Hunter Kamp and Carter Merideth at No. 2 also lost. 

The loss marked the first for the all-senior duo of Kamp and Merideth.

Rochester finished the regular season 9-7 overall and 5-2 in the Three Rivers Conference.

The IHSAA draw is at 6 p.m. Sunday. The Peru sectional begins next Wednesday.

RESULTS: NORTHWESTERN 5, ROCHESTER 0

Singles

Wade Bowers (RHS) lost 6-0, 6-1.

Jackson Frounfelter (RHS) lost 6-1, 6-0.

Camden Zink (RHS) lost 6-2, 6-0.

Doubles

Harrison Dunwoody-Ashton Musselman (RHS) lost 6-1, 6-2.

Hunter Kamp-Carter Merideth (RHS) lost 6-1, 6-0.

Logansport 3, Rochester 2

The four seniors who comprise the doubles teams for the Rochester boys tennis team won their final matches on their home courts, but it was visiting Logansport who earned a 3-2 win on senior night Monday.

Harrison Dunwoody and Ashton Musselman won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles, and Hunter Kamp and Carter Merideth won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2 doubles for the Zebra points.

Musselman played No. 2 doubles last year, but he said he thought he would be playing singles at the start of the season. But Dunwoody specifically requested to play with Musselman, and coach Kyle Reinartz wanted to form a “powerhouse” doubles team.

“It didn’t take us long, maybe a couple practices in,” Musselman said of developing chemistry with Dunwoody. “It was like that. We were connected like that.”Musselman was asked about how Dunwoody, who is known for his quick reflexes and volleying at the net, affects the way he plays.

“It affects me in a good way,” Musselman said. “When he’s at the net and they’re hitting it to him or he can just go across (the net) and get it, it really helps me out, and I don’t have to move that much and it’s easier for me to serve and get back.”

Logansport won all three singles matches. Wade Bowers, Jackson Frounfelter and Camden Zink lost their singles matches with Frounfelter and Zink losing in three sets.

Despite the loss, Reinartz praised Zink for his grit.

“He was frustrated,” Reinartz said of Zink. “I told him you can’t beat yourself up over this. Because Cam’s a grinder. He’s not one to easily give up. He may have lost, but the improvement I have seen from the start of the season to now is insane. I’m extremely happy where he’s at right now as a player and as a person.”

Frounfelter lost 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 to Owen Hankins, a tall lefty who hit a forehand with lots of topspin. Reinartz had similar praise for Frounfelter.

“Their whole team had a lot of topspin,” Reinartz said. “It’s hard to adjust to someone with heavy topspin. But same as Zink with Frounfelter. I’m extremely proud of Frounfelter. He may have lost, but they’re grinders. They’re not out there just giving up. I don’t want that. No one wants that. No one wants their players to just give up, and I am extremely proud and extremely happy. Sure, we lost, but the improvement is insane.”

It could be argued that the grit emanates from Reinartz.

“His personality, he’s a hard worker, so he makes us work hard,” Musselman said. “And I think he’s still trying to find himself because he’s a first-year coach. … We all work hard in practice. He works us out all the time. I think that’s fair. I think that’s a fair statement for us.”

RESULTS: LOGANSPORT 3, ROCHESTER 2

Singles

Blake Pearson (LOG) def. Wade Bowers (RHS), 6-3, 6-0

Owen Hankins (LOG) def. Jackson Frounfelter (RHS), 6-1, 4-6, 6-1

Shane Pearson (LOG) def. Camden Zink (RHS), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Doubles

Harrison Dunwoody-Ashton Musselman (RHS) def. Taylor Albright-Trace Young (LOG), 6-2, 6-3

Hunter Kamp-Carter Merideth (RHS) def. Kaleb Loman-Easton Sweet (LOG), 6-4, 6-3