Speaking Of Sports

Catan, Cooperstown Team

Looking Forward To States

ONEONTA – Oneonta’s Chris Catan and Cooperstown’s Will Weldon have a lot in common.

They are both outstanding young tennis players with lots of talent and enthusiasm for their sport. They both play first singles for very successful high school teams.   And both are looking forward to the State tournament.

They happen to live about 20 miles away from each other, but play in different sections, Catan in Section IV and Weldon in Section III.

Catan, a sophomore with Oneonta’s tennis team, is currently 19-0 on the season and qualified for the state tournament for the second straight year at the Binghamton Tennis Center over the weekend.  Catan dropped only one game on his way to repeating as Section IV’s representative to the State Tournament.

Section III is in Sectional play, and all of Cooperstown’s players have made it to the C-2 finals, being played today.  Sophomore Weldon leads the Cooperstown squad and is 11-1-1 at first singles this season.  His only loss and tie was to class B’s Holland Patent’s Chris Gaige.  Their second match was called a tie because of darkness.

Cooperstown (9-2) has several other players with a shot at doing well in post-season competition.  Senior Noah Lifgren is 11-1 at second singles and senior Kate Trosset is 8-2 at third singles.  The doubles team of Delaney Holohan and Lucas Shaheen-Kritz is 9-1 and playing well together, as is second doubles team Lindsay Trosset and Bradley Weldon.  New coaches Amy Porter and Kris Potrikus are pleased with how their team is coming together this year.

“It’s been a pleasure working with these kids and coaching with Amy,” said Potrikus.  “The kids are learning a lot.  We are starting our own tradition this year.”

Send AllOTSEGO.com sports columnist Connie Herzig news, story tips and any other inputs at herzig@stny.rr.com