DHS TENNIS

DHS Tennis Highlights (2011-12) ...

November 13, 2012
DHS TENNIS ENJOYS PROFESSIONAL JUGGLER: A group of about 40 from the DHS Tennis family enjoyed professional juggler Mark Nizer's show at Emens Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

Nizer (pictured abover with Coach Cleland, Natalie Alexander, Ashley Loffer and Marissa Morris) performed a mind-boggling juggling act, including juggling ping-pong balls high into the air using only his mouth.

At the end of the show, his message was excellent: Go for your dreams, even if it seems impossible.

October 6, 2012
DHS FALLS TO INDIANAPOLIS NORTH CENTRAL IN SEMI-STATE: Delta Tennis ended its memorable season on Saturday (Oct. 6) with a 5-0 loss to Indianapolis North Central in the Homestead Semi-State. North Central spent half the season at No. 1 in the rankings.

Delta, currently ranked No. 22, finished with a 21-3 record and won its 17th regional title in the past 18 seasons. The Eagles were competitive in many positions at semi-state and fought hard against overwhelming odds.

(NOTE: North Central went on to finish State Runner-Up to Carmel on Saturday, Oct. 13)

Delta collected 29 total games on a cold, breezy day.

The closest match came at No. 3 singles, where junior Jordan Fenwick lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 in a three-hour match. Jordan ended his first varsity season with a 19-6 record.

Evan Rodenberger-Nick Wilson played an outstanding first set against North Central's Patrick McAuley and William Reifeis, but lost the match 7-5, 6-0. Rodenberger and Wilson finished the season 24-3. Rodenberger, the only senior in the lineup, finished with 55 career varsity wins, which ranks 19th in Delta Boys' Tennis history.

The other competitive position on Saturday was No. 2 singles, where junior Alec St. John lost to North Central's J.J. Kroot, 6-2, 6-4. Alec concluded his first season as a singles player with a 23-4 record.

Jay Robillard-Collin Mercer took a 16-match winning streak at No. 2 doubles into the semi-state, but North Central's depth was too strong. The Panthers' Ari Gerstein and J.T. Wynne won 6-1, 6-0. Jay finished 21-5; Collin finished 20-4.

Junior Bradley Wuthrich ran into a buzzsaw at No. 1 singles, where Riley Reist posted a 6-0, 6-0 win. Bradley wrapped up his year at 17-10.

22nd-ranked Delta (21-3) collected five championships this season:
Hoosier Heritage Conference
Kokomo Invitational
Delta Invitational
Delta Sectional
Marion Regional

October 3, 2012
REGIONAL CHAMPS AGAIN!: Five months after winning the IHSAA Girls' Regional at Marion, the Delta Tennis program added the Boys' Regional title, giving them a sweep of the 2012 titles. The boys claimed a 4-1 victory over Mississinewa in the championship match Wednesday evening.

It is the 17th regional championship in the past 18 seasons for the boys. Delta leads the state of Indiana was 21 victories. The Eagles are 21-2.

Their two losses are to Fort Wayne Canterbury and Northeastern -- and both of those teams also won regional titles Wednesday to join Delta among the final 16 teams in the chase of the state title.

Once again it was a team effort. Evan Rodenberger-Nick Wilson won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles to improve to 24-2. For the 16th straight match, Jay Robillard-Collin Mercer won at No. 2 doubles. They won 6-1, 6-2. Jay is 21-4; Collin is 20-3. Next off the court was Jordan Fenwick, who clinched the regional title with a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles. He trailed 3-4 in the first set, then rattled off 9 of the next 10 games. Jordan moved to 19-5 for the season.

Alec St. John survived a tough battle with Mississinewa senior Austin Branock at No. 2 singles. Alec won 6-3, 6-3 in a match that featured many long, athletic points. Alec is 23-3. Branock ends his career as the third-winningest player in Missisissinewa tennis history. The top player in Mississinewa history, senior Abram Fleming, got the Indians' lone point. He won 6-1, 6-2 over Bradley Wuthrich at No. 1 singles. Bradley is 17-9. Fleming advances as an individual, where he will play Yorktown's Ian Landwehr for the sectional title.

22nd-ranked Delta (21-2) will play Indianapolis North Central in the Homestead Semi-State at 10 a.m. Saturday. North Central is ranked No. 4 after spending part of the season at No. 1 in the state polls.

September 29, 2012
20-20 VISION: For the 20th consecutive season, the Delta Eagles are boys' tennis sectional champions!

Delta eliminated Yorktown 4-1 on Saturday to wrap up the sectional title again. The Eagles have won every year since 1993.

Delta improved its record to 40-0 in sectional matches over the past 20 years as the Eagles clinched their 20th straight sectional title on Saturday. This is the sixth-highest consecutive sectionals streak in Indiana State Boys' Tennis history. (Munster holds the record with 32 sectionals in a row.)

The latest victim was county rival Yorktown. Delta won 4-1 to improve to 39-1 against Yorktown in Coach Cleland's career. In many ways, the match was very similar to the regular-season matchup with Yorktown. Both times, Yorktown freshman Ian Landwehr won at No. 1 singles, but the Eagles dominated the rest of the match. In the regular season, the Tigers collected three games total in the other matches. In the sectional, the Tigers managed six games.

Evan Rodenberger-Nick Wilson won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles to move to 22-2. Jay Robillard-Collin Mercer won at No. 2 doubles, 6-3, 6-0, for their 14th straight victory. Jay is 19-4; Collin is 18-3. Alec St. John controlled Ian Helfert 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles. Alec is now 21-3 or the fall. Jordan Fenwick dominated Eric Short 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles. Jordan moved to 17-5 for the season.

Bradley Wuthrich is 16-8 at No. 1 singles. He fell 6-1, 6-1 to Landwehr, who advances in the IHSAA individual sectional singles tournament. A victory over Winchester would be Delta's 20th win of the season, a number they have reached only once in the past five seasons.

September 28, 2012
EAGLES REACH SECTIONAL FINALS: In a match that lasted one hour, Delta efficiently took care of Muncie Central by a 5-0 score in the sectional semifinals.

The doubles matches ended first within 30 seconds of each other. Evan Rodenberger-Nick Wilson improved to 21-2, and Jay Robillard-Collin Mercer won at No. 2 doubles. Jay is 18-4; Collin is 17-3. Bradley Wuthrich, Alec St. John and Jordan Fenwick won singles matches against Muncie Central. Alec got his 20th win of the season at No. 2 singles.

Muncie Central collected only eight games total. 22nd-ranked Delta (18-2) will play Yorktown in the finals of the Delta Sectional at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Eagles are seeking their 20th straight sectional title.

September 24, 2012
EAGLES CLINCH CONFERENCE: Delta finished the regular season with a conference championship on Monday evening as the Eagles cruised past Mt. Vernon, 5-0. Delta put up the following regular-season numbers:

17-2 record
13 shutouts
Champion, Hoosier Heritage Conference
Champion, Delta Invitational
Champion, Kokomo Invitational
Runner-Up, FW Carroll Invitational
No. 22 state ranking (as high as No. 18 during season)

Bradley Wuthrich, Alec St. John and Jordan Fenwick won singles matches against Mt. Vernon. Evan Rodenberger-Nick Wilson and Jay Robillard-Collin Mercer won doubles matches. No one lost a set for the varsity. Robillard and Mercer played one of their best matches of the year with a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win. Collin is 16-3; Jay is 17-4 this year. Evan and Nick gained their 20th victory of the year against just two losses. Bradley is 15-7; Alec is 19-3; and Jordan is 15-5.

The JV team won 9-3 to finish the fall with a 12-3-1 record. Freshman Joe Wegener completed an unbeaten 18-0 season with a victory at No. 1 singles.

Jack Sanders, Evan Snider, Jacob Brewer, and Devon Current were also singles winners. Conner Neal-David Hoopingarner; Christian Thomas-Matt Hapner; Devon Greene-Gregg Walker; and Noah Mercer-Sam Williams were doubles winners.

September 22, 2012
DELTA INVITE CHAMPIONS: Delta completed a dominant week with a clean sweep of the field in its annual Delta Invitational on Saturday. The Eagles played five matches last week and won all five by shutout.

In the invitational, Delta shut out Burris, Richmond and Lake Central by 5-0 scores. Burris and Richmond each won only six games against Delta. Lake Central won 20 games. For the day, Delta outscored its opponents 180 games to 32 games. Delta moved to 16-2 in duals.

Leading the way on Saturday was the No. 1 doubles team of Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson. They gave up only two games total in three matches and are now 19-2 on the year. Rodenberger now has 50 career varsity wins; he is the 25th boy in DHS Tennis history to reach the 50-win mark.

Junior Jordan Fenwick allowed three games on the day and is now 14-5 at No. 3 singles. Junior Alec St. John gave up only six games on the day and moved to 18-3 at No. 2 singles. Junior Bradley Wuthrich allowed only nine games at No. 1 singles and improved to 14-7 for the fall. Junior Collin Mercer and sophomore Jay Robillard also won three more matches at No. 2 doubles. Collin is 15-3; Jay is 16-4 this year.

The JV team hit the road for the four-team Fort Wayne Carroll Invite, but rain, wind and hail ended their day early. They were able to play only one match, a 4-3 loss to Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger. The JV slipped to 11-3-1 with the loss.

The regular season will conclude Monday with a 5 p.m. match at Mt. Vernon. The varsity will try to complete a perfect 7-0 conference season.

September 19, 2012
SENIORS CELEBRATE IN STYLE: The seniors led the way with varsity victories as Delta dominated Pendleton Heights 7-0 in a conference match. The victory came on our annual Senior Day celebration. By special arrangement with Pendleton, the match format was four singles and three doubles varsity matches. As a result, all five DHS seniors were able to play varsity.

Senior Dillon Eldridge played varsity No. 4 singles and won 6-0, 6-0. He is now 3-0 for his career in varsity matches. Seniors Evan Rodenberger and David Hoopingarner teamed up at No.1 doubles for a 6-2, 6-1 victory. It was Hoopingarner's second career varsity match. At No. 3 doubles, seniors Christian Thomas and Evan Snider played varsity for the first time in their career. They dropped the first set 4-6, but then rallied to win the final two sets 6-0 and 6-2.

Other winners were junior Bradley Wuthrich at No. 1 singles, junior Alec St. John at No. 2 singles, junior Jordan Fenwick at No. 3 singles, and sophomores Nick Wilson and Jay Robillard at No. 2 doubles. Delta moved to 13-2 in duals and 6-0 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play.

In the JV match, Delta won 9-2 to improve to 11-2-1. JV winners were Devon Current, Jacob Brewer, Sam Williams, Noah Mercer and Chad Hedge in singles. Doubles winners were Conner Neal-Collin Mercer; Joe Wegener-Jack Sanders; Devon Greene-Gregg Walker; and Matt Hapner-Nick Bantz.

September 19, 2012
SENIOR DAY GOES WELL: Delta celebrated Senior Day on Wednesday, Sept. 19 with a nice ceremony in front of an appreciative crowd.

Seniors Evan Rodenberger, David Hoopingarner, Dillon Eldridge, Evan Snider, and Christian Thomas were honored in a ceremony prior to the match.

Special thanks to:
Kirsten Brewer, who organized the event and made sure the senior boys were honored properly. She took photos, made photo posters, made special framed collages, ordered cakes, and decorated the shelter.
Debbie Current, helped decorate the shelter and helped serve cake and punch.
Jennifer Williams, helped serve refreshments.
Shane Neal, took the initiative to produce large color poster signs with the seniors' photos. Special thanks to sophomore Conner Neal for designing the posters!
   And to all who helped in any other way with photos, refreshments, etc.

September 13, 2012
NORTHEASTERN AND DELTA PLAY CLASSIC MATCH: On paper, it looked like it would be a great high school tennis match. And the real thing lived up to the pre-match billing as 25th-ranked Northeastern outlasted 18th-ranked Delta 3-2 in a match that lasted more than three hours Wednesday night. The match was the first time two state-ranked teams had ever met in tennis on the Northeastern courts. Northeastern is the first team from its conference ever to earn a state Top 25 ranking. Players and coaching staffs from both teams are good friends, so the anticipation was strong for a memorable match in front of a large crowd.

Northeastern got on the board first with a 6-1, 6-2 victory from senior Jeremy Lacey at No. 3 singles over junior Jordan Fenwick. Lacey is undefeated for the season. Delta evened the score at 1-1 when senior Evan Rodenberger and sophomore Nick Wilson won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles over senior Ryan Hester and junior Charlie Webster.

All other matches extended deep into the night. At one point, more than 2 hours, 45 minutes into the match, all three remaining courts were at 6-5 in the third sets. Next to finish was Northeastern junior Jacob Rankin at No. 2 singles. He topped Delta junior Alec St. John in a battle of athletic lefties, 6-1, 1-6, 7-5. Delta quickly evened the match again when junior Collin Mercer and sophomore Jay Robillard prevailed over Northeastern junior Shane Stiner and sophomore Craig Dingwerth, 6-7, 6-2, 7-5.

Attention shifted to the first court, where Delta junior Bradley Wuthrich and Northeastern sophomore Grant Esposito were locked in a 3-hour battle of laser groundstrokes. Bradley won the first set 6-3, but Grant battled back to get the second set 6-2. Bradley jumped ahead 4-1 and 5-3 in the final set, but Grant again forged a comeback. In the end, Grant survived in a third-set tiebreaker as Northeastern stayed undefeated for the season at 12-0. Delta slipped to 11-2.

In the JV match, Delta won 9-2 with several matches finishing in near darkness. Joe Wegener won 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and Jack Sanders won 6-2 at No. 2 singles.

September 12, 2012
EAGLES SMASH YORKTOWN: Playing one of its best matches of the year, the Eagles smashed Yorktown, 4-1, in front of a large home crowd Tuesday. Both teams were unbeaten in Hoosier Heritage Conference matches. Delta now has sole possession of first place.

Alec St. John, Jordan Fenwick, Evan Rodenberger, Nick Wilson, Jay Robillard and Collin Mercer beat their Tiger opponents by a combined score of 48 games to 3. At No. 1 singles, Bradley Wuthrich fell 6-4, 6-4 to undefeated Yorktown freshman Ian Landwehr in a good battle. In the JV match, Delta won 10-1 with many strong performances.

Delta (11-1 and ranked 18th) will play at undefeated and 25th-ranked Northeastern today at 5:00 p.m.

September 8, 2012
EAGLES WIN KOKOMO INVITE: For the first time since 2007, Delta went 3-0 in the Kokomo Invitational on Saturday. The Eagles shut out Kokomo 5-0, blanked West Lafayette 5-0, and then topped Lebanon 4-1 in cool, breezy conditions.

Delta, ranked 20th, improved to 10-1 at the halfway point of the season. The No. 1 doubles team of senior Evan Rodenberger and sophomore Nick Wilson went 3-0 on the day, dropping only seven games total. Junior Alec St. John was dominant, also, dropping only nine games in his three victories at No. 2 singles. Junior Bradley Wuthrich beat three solid opponents. He outscored his opponents 36-14 in games on the day. At No. 2 doubles, the Eagles also claimed three straight-set wins. Junior Collin Mercer and sophomore Jay Robillard were 2-0, and freshmen Jack Sanders and Joe Wegener went 1-0. Junior Jordan Fenwick finished 2-1, beating Kokomo and West Lafayette and falling to Lebanon in a close decision.

In the JV tournament, the Eagles beat Kokomo 7-0, defeated West Lafayette 5-2, and lost to Lebanon 2-5. The JV team now has a 7-2-1 record for the fall.

JV records from Saturday:
Sophomore Conner Neal 3-0
Senior Christian Thomas 2-0
Junior Devon Green 2-0
Sophomore Gregg Walker 2-0
Freshman Joe Wegener 2-0
Freshman Jack Sanders 2-0
Freshman Nick Bantz 2-0
Senior David Hoopingarner 2-1
Freshman Jacob Brewer 2-1
Senior Dillon Eldridge 1-1
Freshman Matt Hapner 1-1
Junior Devon Current 1-2
Senior Evan Snider 0-2

Extra players at high school site:
   Freshman Chad Hedge 2-0
   Freshman Sam Williams 2-0
   Freshman Jack Sanders 1-0
   Freshman Joe Wegener 1-0
   Freshman Evan White 3-1
   Freshman Zak Fenwick 2-1
   Freshman Noah Mercer 1-1

September 5, 2012
DHS FINISHES SECOND IN CARROLL INVITE: The Eagles had to settle for second place in the Fort Wayne Carroll Invitational following a 4-1 loss to Canterbury on Wednesday night in Fort Wayne. The match was for the championship of the rain-delayed Carroll Invite. Delta, ranked 20th, had beaten Homestead and 19th-ranked Carroll to reach the finals. Canterbury, ranked third, beat Plainfield and 24th-ranked Cathedral.

Canterbury won the tournament despite playing without two of its top players, both out with injuries. Delta won at No. 2 doubles as Jay Robillard and Collin Mercer prevailed, 7-6, 6-3. The score was the same at No. 1 doubles, but Canterbury came out on top of Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson. Bradley Wuthrich fell 6-4, 6-3 to Davis Huber at No. 1 singles. Alec St. John lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chris Yahanda at No. 2 singles. Jordan Fenwick struggled to get untracked at No. 3 singles.

In the JV match, Delta and Canterbury played to a 5-5 tie. Joe Wegener, Jack Sanders and Evan Snider swept the top three singles spots. Doubles winners were Nick Bantz-Matt Hapner and Devon Greene-Gregg Walker.

September 4, 2012
DHS DOMINATES RUSHVILLE: The final meeting between Delta and Rushville in boys' tennis ended in a 5-0 shutout victory for the Eagles. Rushville is leaving the Hoosier Heritage Conference. The Lions have only seven players, four of whom are seniors. Bradley Wuthrich picked up a strong win at No. 1 singles. Alec St. John and Jordan Fenwick added singles wins. Evan Rodenberger, Nick Wilson, Collin Mercer, and Jay Robillard were doubles winners. There was no JV match.

Delta (7-0 and ranked 20th) will travel to Fort Wayne for a match against third-ranked Canterbury at 5:30 Wednesday. This will be a varsity and JV match.

September 1, 2012
FORT WAYNE CARROLL INVITE: It was a good day Saturday for the 26th-ranked Eagles as they reached the finals of the powerful Fort Wayne Carroll Invitational.

The morning began with a 3-2 victory over rival Homestead. This is only the eighth time in 24 career meetings that the Delta boys have beaten Homestead, a northern Indiana traditional tennis power.

Winning in singles were Alec St. John at No. 2 and Jordan Fenwick at No. 3. In doubles, Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson won at No. 1.

In the afternoon semifinals, Delta gained a strong 3-2 victory over 19th ranked Fort Wayne Carroll.

Winning again were St. John at No. 2 and Fenwick at No. 3. In doubles, Rodenberger and Wilson won at No. 1.

Bradley Wuthrich played well at No. 1 singles against two solid opponents and lost some close sets. Likewise, Delta had some good play at No. 2 doubles but came up a little short. Jay Robillard and Collin Mercer fell 4-6, 6-7 to Homestead and Robillard and Joe Wegener fell in a third-set tiebreaker to FW Carroll.

The championship match against 3rd-ranked Fort Wayne Canterbury was postponed by rain. Canterbury beat Plainfield 5-0 and beat 24th-ranked Cathedral 4-1 to advance to the finals.

In JV action Saturday, Delta edged Homestead 2-1 as Joe Wegener and Jack Sanders won singles matches. FW Carroll topped Delta 4-1 with Jack Sanders-Collin Mercer being the lone winner in doubles. Delta and FW Canterbury tied 1-1 as Nick Bantz and Matt Hapner won a doubles match.

August 28, 2012
EAGLES SHUT OUT GREENFIELD: Junior Alec St. John turned in a dominant performance in a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Greenfield's Chris Kersey at No. 2 singles. The 26th-ranked Eagles cruised to another 5-0 team victory, their fourth shutout in four matches this fall. Also winning in singles were Bradley Wuthrich at No. 1 and Jordan Fenwick at No. 3.

In doubles, Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson won easily at No. 1 doubles to improve their record to 6-1. Jay Robillard and Collin Mercer romped to a 6-1, 6-0 win and moved to 5-2 at No. 2 doubles.

Delta beat the Cougars 8-3 at the JV level. Winners in singles were Dillon Eldridge, Evan Snider and Jacob Brewer. In doubles, the Eagles won with Joe Wegener/Jack Sanders; David Hoopingarner/Conner Neal; Matt Hapner/Nick Bantz; and Christian Thomas/Gregg Walker.

August 22, 2012
BEARCATS BLANKED: Delta limited Muncie Central to 11 total games and cruised to a 5-0 victory in the home opener on Wednesday, Aug. 22. Bradley Wuthrich led the way with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Andrew Fox. Alec St. John added a 6-2, 6-1 win over Drake Clohessey. Jordan Fenwick completed the singles sweep by dominating Jordan Smith 6-0, 6-1.

In doubles, Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson won 6-2, 6-0, and Jay Robillard and Collin Mercer gained a 6-3, 6-0 win.

Delta swept the Bearcats 7-0 at the JV level. Winners in singles were Joe Wegener, Devon Current, Jacob Brewer and Evan Snider. In doubles, the Eagles won with Conner Neal/David Hoopingarner; Matt Hapner/Nick Bantz; and Devon Greene/Gregg Walker.

August 20, 2012
EAGLES SMACK NEW PAL: The Eagles responded well to a big challenge by sinking a solid New Palestine team 5-0 on the road in the Hoosier Heritage Conference opener. Monday's match was a long road trip after a long weekend in Jeffersonville, but the Eagles, ranked 27th in the state, played like they were fresh.

Delta won the first sets by scores of 6-2, 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 and 6-1. The varsity then completed all of the matches with straight-set wins. Bradley Wuthrich won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles over Brent Barrett. Alec St. John won 10 of the first 12 games and held on for a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Connor Swain. Jordan Fenwick collected a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles. In doubles, Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson cruised 6-1, 6-2, and Jay Robillard and Collin Mercer prevailed 6-1, 6-3.

Delta managed a 6-5 victory at the JV level. Winners in singles were Evan Snider and Jacob Brewer. In doubles, the Eagles won the top four spots: Joe Wegener/Jack Sanders; Conner Neal/David Hoopingarner; Matt Hapner/Nick Bantz; and Devon Greene/Gregg Walker.

August 17-18, 2012
JEFFERSONVILLE INVITATIONAL: An 0-3 record in three-set matches proved costly as the DHS Tennis varsity boys settled for sixth place in the challenging 8-team Jeffersonville Invitational. Jasper, a Top 10 ranked team in the state, easily won the title with 41 points. They won three of the five flights and placed second in the other two.

The next five positions were extremely close:
26 - Bloomington North
26 - Evansville Memorial
23 - Jeffersonville
23 - Columbus North
21 - Delta

Zionsville (14) and Centerville (6) rounded out the field.

The top finish for Delta was the No. 1 doubles team of Evan Rodenberger and Nick Wilson. They defeated Columbus North and Bloomington North in straight sets, then lost 4-6, 4-6 to Jasper in the finals. Also going 2-1 was junior Alec St. John at No. 2 singles. His only loss was to Bloomington North. Picking up one victory each were Bradley Wuthrich at No. 1 singles, Joe Wegener at No. 3 singles, and Jay Robillard/Collin Mercer at No. 2 doubles.

For the weekend, Delta finished with 7 wins and 8 losses. The three 3-set losses proved to be the difference between a sixth-place team finish and a runner-up team finish.

In the JV event, Jasper placed first and Delta finished fourth. The top finish was Joe Wegener at No. 1 singles. He went 3-0 on the day. Jack Sanders and Conner Neal were 2-1 at No. 1 doubles. David Hoopingarner and Christian Thomas also were 2-1 at No. 2 doubles.

July 20, 2012:
TIM CLELAND TENNIS CAMPS CONCLUDE: The 17th annual Tim Cleland Tennis Camp ended on Friday, July 20. A total of 246 campers attended in extremely hot conditions during the three weeks. The campers donated a truckload and two carloads of items to the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) as part of the camp's charity theme. Also, four ARF dogs were adopted by families at the camp! In addition, more than $850 was raised for the Tim Cleland Leadership/Service Scholarship fund.

Week Three Winners:
A1 Singles = Alec Robillard def. Avery Walker
A-1 Doubles = Bradley Wuthrich/Nick Wilson def. Daniel Harrold/Charlie Webster
A-2 Doubles = Collin Mercer/David Hoopingarner def. Conner Neal/Adam Bantz
B-1 Singles = Kayla Dubuque def. Noah Mercer
B-1 Doubles = Kaylin Gibson/Tannon Dishman def. Kiera Helm/Madison Savage
B-2 Singles = Jacey Price def. Evan White
B-2 Doubles = Ritika Mehta/Maria Porter def. Kortney Helm/Bella Roark
B-3 Singles = Tanner Southerland def. Zac Stanley
C-1 Singles = Devin McKinley def. Kamden Rudin
C-1 Doubles = Isabelle Behrman/Maggie Hunt def. Meredith Marlow/Sydney Baldwin

Week Two Winners:
A1 Singles = Evan Rodenberger def. Khamasi Muhiga
A-1 Doubles = 1. Marissa Morris/Natalie Alexander; 2. JJ King/Kyle Richardson
A-2 Singles = Sabrina Porter def. Adam Bantz
A-2 Doubles = 1. Avery Walker/Alec Robillard; 2. Nick Bantz/Matt Hapner
B-1 Singles = Jacob Brewer def. Parker Robillard
B-1 Doubles = 1. Emma Snider/Halie Hardwick; 2. Kaylin Gibson/Melissa Cabanas
B-2 Singles = Jack Elvin def. Joseph Patashinsky
B-2 Doubles = Joel Ashman/Josh Fenwick def. Maddie Holdren/Katelyn Milligan
B-3 Singles = Sophia Porter def. Marissa Mercer
B-3 Doubles = 1. Savannah Gaither/Lilyann Jones; 2. Kortney Helm/Lauren Milligan
C-1 Singles = Walker Boyle def. Tynan Dishman

Week One Winners:
A1 Singles = Jordan Fenwick def. Madison Ashman
A-1 Doubles = Evan Rodenberger / Alec St. John def. Khamasi Muhiga / Nick Wilson
A-2 Singles = Maggie Thompson def. Dalen Smith
A-2 Doubles = Noah Kinghorn / Spencer Thomas def. Jack Sanders / Matt Hapner
B-1 Singles = Brandon Jackson def. Kiera Helm
B-1 Doubles = Brice Wuthrich / Zane Willis def. Michael Morris / Parker Robillard
B-2 Singles = Changrae Cho def. Griffin Hill
B-2 Doubles = Joe Arnett / Tim Miller def. Maddie Holdren / Katelyn Milligan
B-3 Singles = Mikel Prater def. Tanner Southerland
C-1 Singles = Jaigen Glaze def. Annie Elvin
C-1 Doubles = Maggie Manor / Tynan Dishman def. Sophia Porter / Anna Wuertley

Visit this link for more camp details! Tim Cleland Tennis Camp

June 30, 2012:
PENGUIN TOURNAMENT CONCLUDES!: Competitors in the 11th annual Penguin Classic tennis tournament faced 105 degree temperatures (Thursday, June 28) and a 60-70 mph windstorm (Friday, June 29). After a couple of hundred matches, the tournament is now over!

Visit this link for results! Penguin Classic

June 15-17, 2012:
RODENBERGER PLACES SECOND AT COLUMBUS: Delta senior Evan Rodenberger finished runner-up in Boys' 18 Singles at the Columbus (Indiana) Open sanctioned tournament on June 15-17. He won three matches, including a hard-fought 3-set win over Luke Red of Columbus, before falling in the finals to Graham McMullen of Pendleton.

Other top results at Columbus:
> Teaghan Dishman and Madison Ashman won the Girls 16 Doubles title.
> Kiera Helm won the Girls 14 Doubles title.
> Tannon Dishman won the Boys 12 Singles title and Joel Ashman was runner-up.
> Marissa Morris won the Girls 18 Singles consolation.
> Austin Lemna won the Boys 18 Singles consolation.
> Khamasi Muhiga won the Boys 16 Singles consolation.
> Jordan Fenwick reached the semifinals of Boys 18 Singles.
> Alec St. John reached the semifinals of Boys 16 Singles.
> Ashley Loffer reached the semifinals of Girls 18 Singles.
> Madison Ashman reached the semifinals of Girls 16 Singles.
> Bradley Wuthrich and Jordan Fenwick placed second in Boys 18 Doubles.
> Marissa Morris and Natalie Alexander placed second in Girls 18 Doubles.
> Maggie Thompson reached the finals of Girls 16 Singles consolation.

June 9, 2012:
ALEXANDER/MORRIS CHOSEN TO DOUBLES ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: Delta juniors Marissa Morris (left) and Natalie Alexander (center) have been selected All-State Second Team Doubles by the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association. Marissa and Natalie finished with a 23-3 record at No. 1 doubles. The top 10 teams in the state made First Team and the next 10 made Second Team.

This is the 18th straight year in which at least one DHS Tennis player (boy or girl) has been chosen All-State Singles or All-State Doubles. That streak is 23 consecutive calendar years when Academic All-State is also included. To put that streak in perspective, consider this: There are approximately 2,200 varsity tennis players each season statewide, and only the top 70 are chosen to the All-State Singles or All-State Doubles teams.

Junior Ashley Loffer (right), the No. 1 singles player this season, received All-State Singles Honorable Mention.

June 2, 2012:
COSTELLO CHOSEN ACADEMIC ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM: Delta senior Lynne Costello (above) has been selected Academic All-State First Team by the Indiana Coaches of Girls' Sports Association and the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association. She is ranked No. 1 in the senior class and was 20-3 at No. 2 doubles this season. She is the 16th player in DHS girls' and boys' tennis history to make Academic All-State. Bond St. John in 2011, Kelly Crider in 2009, Jared Bullock and John Rauchenstein in 2008, and Kristin Crider in 2007 were some of the more recent players to accomplish the feat. Congratulations!

May 23, 2012:
EAGLE GIRLS WIN REGIONAL: Delta's girls tennis team added the Marion Regional title to its list of accomplishments this season by topping Alexandria 4-1 on Wednesday evening.

The 22nd-ranked Eagles (21-1) have won Delta Invitational, Hoosier Heritage Conference, and Delta Sectional titles this year, also. They will play 10th-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Fort Wayne Concordia Semi-State. The winner of that match moves on to the eight-team IHSAA State Finals the next weekend.

First off the court Wednesday was senior Callie Worthington at No. 3 singles. She won 6-0, 6-0 in 40 minutes. Next off was No. 1 doubles, where juniors Marissa Morris and Natalie Alexander won 6-0, 6-2. Clinching the victory was No. 2 singles, where sophomore Madison Ashman claimed a 6-1, 6-3 win. Finishing moments later was No. 2 doubles, where senior Lynne Costello and freshman Teaghan Dishman won 6-3, 6-3. Alexandria got on the board at No. 1 singles, where senior Michelle McFerran beat Ashley Loffer, 6-1, 6-1.

In the opening round of regional, the Eagles dominated Northeastern 5-0. Delta dropped a total of six games in the three singles matches and five games in the two doubles matches.

This is the 25th regional title in Coach Cleland's 40 seasons as Delta boys' and girls' tennis coach. The girls have won back-to-back regional titles and have won six of the last nine regional championships.

May 22, 2012:
GIRLS GET 20TH WIN: Delta's girls' tennis team beat Northeastern 5-0 in the opening round of the Marion Regional. The victory was Delta's 20th of the season. This is only the fourth time in DHS Girls' Tennis history that the Eagles have reached 20 wins in a season (also in 2000, 2006 and 2007).

May 19, 2012:
ANOTHER SECTIONAL TITLE FOR EAGLES: For the 20th time in the past 21 springs, the DHS girls' tennis team is the sectional champion. The Eagles defeated Muncie Central 5-0 in the quarterfinals, beat Muncie Burris 5-0 in the semifinals, and then topped Yorktown 4-1 in the finals.

In the sectional finals on Saturday, the No. 1 doubles team of Natalie Alexander and Marissa Morris improved to 21-2 with a 6-0, 6-0 win. Next off the court was senior Callie Worthington, who moved to 19-3 at No. 3 singles with a 6-3, 6-1 win. The No. 2 doubles team of senior Lynne Costello and freshman Teaghan Dishman clinched the sectional title with a 6-2, 6-1 win, moving their record to 18-2.

Yorktown got on the board at No. 1 singles, where senior Kati Vasalakis beat junior Ashley Loffer. Vasalakis advances as an individual with a 15-2 record.

The longest match of the day came at No. 2 singles. Sophomore Madison Ashman outlasted senior Michaela Mabee 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to improve her season record to 20-3. The Eagles, winners of 14 straight matches, are ranked No. 22 in the state.

May 16, 2012:
EAGLES SHUT OUT BEARCATS: Delta shut out Muncie Central 5-0 in the opening round of the Delta Sectional on Wednesday afternoon. Two matches went to three sets, but Ashley Loffer won 6-2 in the third set at No. 1 singles and Lynne Costello-Teaghan Dishman won 6-0 in the third set of No. 2 doubles.

First off the court was Madison Ashman, who won 6-4, 6-0 over Meghan Jackson at No. 2 singles. Next to finish was Callie Worthington, who won 6-2, 6-1 over Audrey Kirby at No. 3 singles.

Clinching the match with a third position victory was the No. 1 doubles team of Natalie Alexander and Marissa Morris. They beat Natalie Cunningham and Taylor Rabel 6-3, 6-2. This was the night's marquee matchup as Alexander and Morris entered with an 18-2 record and Cunningham and Rabel entered with a 15-1 record.

May 15, 2012:
ANOTHER GOOD ROAD WIN: The girls' tennis team finished an outstanding regular season with another hard-fought road win over a quality opponent. The Eagles made the long journey to Fort Wayne Concordia, where they played the 26th-ranked Saints on their Senior Night. Due to the long ride and late start, the Eagles chose to go without the normal 20-25 minute hitting practice prior to official warm-up. Still, the girls dug deep and pulled out a 3-2 victory to finish the regular season with a 16-1 record.

It was the third victory over a state-ranked opponent this season (Bishop Chatard, FW Carroll, and FW Concordia). The Eagles' only loss was to state-ranked Terre Haute North in a tight 3-2 decision.

May 12, 2012:
CONFERENCE & INVITATIONAL TITLES ON SAME DAY!: The girls' tennis team enjoyed an extremely rare day Saturday by winning Delta Invitational and Hoosier Heritage Conference championships on the same day!

Here's how it happened:

Saturday morning, the Eagles defeated Shelbyville 5-0 to wrap up a perfect 7-0 league season. The highlight of the Shelbyville match was No. 1 singles player Ashley Loffer, who rallied from a 3-6, 2-5 deficit to win her match 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.

After an hour break, the 20th-ranked Eagles played 30th-ranked Fort Wayne Carroll in the finals of the Delta Invitational. The first two rounds of the 8-team invite were played on April 28, when Delta beat 27th-ranked Bishop Chatard in one semifinal match and Carroll beat 7th-ranked Cathedral in the other semifinal.

Playing its best match of the season, Delta hammered Carroll 4-1. One highlight was Madison Ashman's 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. But the Eagles were sharp everywhere, giving up only 14 games total at No. 2 singles, No. 3 singles, and both doubles. In a four-day stretch, Delta won five matches, beating Yorktown (4-1), Center Grove (3-2), Rushville (5-0), Shelbyvillle (5-0), and FW Carroll (4-1).

May 11, 2012:
300 GIRLS' TENNIS VICTORIES FOR COACH CLELAND: On Friday night, the Eagles dominated Rushville 5-0 for another conference win. The match was the 300th victory in girls' tennis for Coach Tim Cleland, making him the fourth coach in state history to reach 300 or more career wins in both boys' tennis and girls' tennis.

May 10, 2012:
GIRLS KNOCK OFF CENTER GROVE: Delta gained a narrow 3-2 victory over Indianapolis suburban tennis power Center Grove on Thursday at Mt. Vernon courts. The Eagles lost 0-5 to Center Grove a year ago, so it was a nice turnaround this time.

Sophomore Madison Ashman's result was an example of that turnaround. Madison won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 singles over a girl that she lost to last spring. Senior Callie Worthington won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles and was first off the court.

Juniors Natalie Alexander and Marissa Morris picked up a very big victory at No. 1 doubles by a 6-4, 6-4 score in the last match on the court, breaking a 2-2 team tie. Natalie and Marissa lost badly at No. 2 doubles a year ago to Center Grove, so it was another big turnaround yesterday for them. They were playing the same doubles team that beat Delta 6-4, 6-1 last spring.

Delta's varsity moves to 12-1 for the season. The JV team lost 6-5 to Center Grove for their first loss of the season. The JV now is 13-1-1.

May 5, 2012:
JV DOMINATES AT EAST NOBLE INVITE: The junior varsity team enjoyed a great day Saturday at the East Noble JV Invitational with victories over Fairfield (5-0), East Noble (4-1) and Fort Wayne Canterbury (5-0). The JV team now boasts a 12-0-1 record.

May 3, 2012:
SENIORS SHINE ON SENIOR DAY: The Eagles smacked Pendleton Heights 7-0 to celebrate Senior Day on a very warm Thursday evening. Pendleton won only a half-dozen games in the seven matches.

Seniors collected victories throughout the lineup. Senior Callie Worthington won at No. 3 singles; seniors Lynne Costello and Megan Buckner teamed up to win at No. 2 doubles; senior Alexa Lewis was successful in her first-ever varsity match (teaming with junior Jenny Wegener at No. 3 doubles); and senior exchange student Isabela Zanelato got a victory at No. 4 singles.

April 28, 2012:
EAGLES EDGE 27TH-RANKED BISHOP CHATARD: The Eagles claimed their first victory over a state-ranked team this season by edging 27th-ranked Indianapolis Bishop Chatard 3-2 in Saturday's semifinals of the Delta Invitational. The Eagles swept doubles and picked up a big victory at No. 3 singles from senior Callie Worthington in a third-set tiebreaker.

Also in the invitational, Delta swept Batesville 5-0. The championship match against Fort Wayne Carroll was postponed due to weather. At the halfway point of the season, Delta owns an 8-1 record, stands in first place in the Hoosier Heritage Conference, and is ranked 19th. The JV team is 7-0-1.

April 21, 2012:
SUCCESSFUL TRIP TO CRAWFORDSVILLE: The Eagles performed well on April 21 at the powerful eight-team Crawfordsville Invitational. Delta reached the finals in three of the five flights and placed third in the other two flights. The tournament featured two of Indiana's top seven teams.

The day's highlight belonged to sophomore Madison Ashman, who upended Floyd Central's Carmen Schreiber at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 4-6, (10-4). Floyd Central, ranked third in the state, won the invitational. They eliminated Delta in the IHSAA State Finals last spring and returned all varsity players from that team.

The Eagles finished runner-up at No. 2 singles, No. 3 singles, and No. 1 doubles and placed third at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles. For the team, the Eagles won 10 matches and lost 5.

April 18, 2012:
EAGLES WIN ON TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY: The varsity Eagles topped Mt. Vernon 4-1 on Wednesday, April 18 in a Teacher Appreciation Day match. Delta improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.

About 20 teachers, administrators, and staff members were honored before the match as each team member selected a favorite adult to recognize. Students in the top 25% of the class rankings and/or on the latest Honor Roll also were recognized at the pre-match ceremony.

April 6, 2012:
DHS TENNIS RAISES $3,000 IN ONE NIGHT!: We got off to a great start with the Delta Tennis Community Service Dinner Club, which is an ambitious new project in which the tennis families will gather to support local charities.

The first dinner on Friday, April 6 attracted between 90 and 100 people to the home of Mike and Wynde Ashman in Landings Trail addition.

Counting a late donation early this week, we raised $1,150 for Blood 'N' Fire Ministries of Muncie! Delta graduate Bob Ball, director of Blood 'N' Fire, explained what the ministry does and how it can use the money.

In addition to the generous donation to Blood 'N' Fire, we also raised $2,000 through raffles, auctions, and contributions to Coach Cleland's new Delta Tennis Leadership/Service Scholarship fund. This scholarship for DHS seniors will be administered through the Delaware Community Schools Educational Foundation.

Also, we had a pleasant surprise visit from Seren Frost, a Delta graduate who runs L.A.C.E.S., a not-for-profit group that uses soccer to minister to war-ravaged Liberia. James, the Liberian director of L.A.C.E.S., also attended the dinner and spoke to our group about his experiences as a child soldier in the 14-year Liberian civil war. This was his first visit to the United States.

Former DHS Tennis standout Stephen Hopkins, songwriter for the band When, Not If, played guitar and sang several original songs as well as two covers. He was well-received by teens and parents alike.

We will be doing four dinners per year -- Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each dinner will rotate to a different teammate's home. We expect this to develop into a major tradition of helping those in our community.

Wynde Ashman and Al Holdren are coordinating the details of the dinners, with help from Coach Cleland and other parents.

This year's girls' tennis team theme is "First Serve" (logo above). We are excited about the opportunity to serve others first!

March 18, 2012:
29 PLAYERS ON THIRD NINE WEEKS HONOR ROLL: The Honor Roll for the third Nine Week Grading Period has been announced. A total of 29 boys and girls on the current teams made the Honor Roll -- congratulations!

     Here's the list:
     ALL A+ HONOR ROLL
     Sophomores -- Bradley Wuthrich

     ALL A HONOR ROLL
     Seniors -- Lynne Costello, Austin Lemna, Seth Myers, Bond St. John
     Juniors -- Ashley Loffer, Evan Rodenberger, Katherine Smith, Rebecca Schooley
     Sophomores -- Madison Ashman
     Freshmen -- Teaghan Dishman, Kaylin Gibson, Kiera Helm, Nick Wilson

     ALL A-B HONOR ROLL
     Seniors -- Megan Buckner, Ethan Grove, Alexa Lewis, Isabela Zanelato
     Juniors -- Natalie Alexander, David Hoopingarner, Maddy Walker, Jenny Wegener
    Sophomores -- Jordan Fenwick, Shelby Richardson
     Freshmen -- Sydney Dunnuck, Jay Robillard, Jacey Price, Madison Savage, Maggie Thompson

October 29, 2011:
ETHAN COMPETES ON INDIANA ALL-STAR TEAM!: Senior Ethan Grove (above with Coach Cleland) participated in the Indiana Senior All-Star match at DePauw University in Greencastle. He won two of his three matches. It was a great day of competition featuring 36 of the top seniors throughout Indiana.

October 22, 2011:
ETHAN/EVAN FINISH THIRD AT STATE FINALS and MAKE ALL-STATE DOUBLES FIRST TEAM!: Senior Ethan Grove and junior Evan Rodenberger concluded a great season by finishing third in the IHSAA State Doubles Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Park Tudor HS courts.

Ethan and Evan defeated Plymouth 6-1, 6-2 in Friday night's quarterfinals. They lost 4-6, 2-6 to Floyd Central in Saturday morning's semifinals. They then gained a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Evansville North in Saturday afternoon's third-place match. Ethan and Evan finished 28-3. Also on Saturday, they were selected to the All-State Doubles First Team, which is an honor reserved for only the Top 10 doubles teams in the state.

This represents the 20th time during Coach Cleland's 39 seasons as DHS Tennis boys' and girls' coach that a season has ended at the State Finals (team, singles, or doubles).

Here are the Eagles' previous best finishes during Coach Cleland's tenure:

State Team Finals (four times at State) -- best finish is third twice

State Doubles (12 times at State) -- best finish is runner-up four times and third four times

State Singles (seven times at State) -- best finish is runner-up once and third once.

October 15, 2011:
BONDO EARNS ACADEMIC ALL-STATE HONORS: Senior Bond St. John (above), the No. 1 singles player for the Eagles, has been chosen to the Academic All-State First Team by the Indiana High School Tennis Coaches Association. Bond, ranked third in the senior class, is the 15th player in DHS Tennis history to make Academic All-State. He also was chosen All-State Singles honorable mention.

October 15, 2011:
ETHAN/EVAN ACHIEVE RARE "GOLDEN SET": Senior Ethan Grove and junior Evan Rodenberger achieved a "golden set" -- winning all 24 points in the first set -- during the IHSAA Doubles Regional at Kokomo HS courts on a very windy afternoon. Grove and Rodenberger beat Crawfordsville in the morning match, then won the golden set and the match over Westfield in the afternoon match.

October 4, 2011:
LONG REGIONAL STREAK ENDS: All good things must come to an end ... and sadly the 16-year regional victory streak for Delta Boys' Tennis ended on Tuesday, Oct. 4 on the Marion HS courts with a 4-1 loss to state-ranked Marion in the opening round of the regional. The 16-year streak was the longest regional streak in Delaware County history for any school in any sport. It also was the third-longest active regional streak in Indiana in all sports.

Ethan Grove and Evan Rodenberger won a three-set match at No. 1 doubles for the Eagles' lone point.

Senior Austin Lemna won the first set at No. 3 singles and sophomore Alec St. John and freshman Jay Robillard won the opening set at No. 2 doubles. But Marion rallied for three-set wins in both positions.

The regional streak began in Fall 1995. It nearly ended in Fall 2008, but senior Caleb Austin made amazing comebacks at No. 3 singles in the sectional against Muncie Burris and in the regional against Anderson to help the team pull out 3-2 victories both times! After that big regional victory, the Eagles cut down the net on Court 5 (photo below where Coach Cleland holds a piece of the net along with his mother Jeanne and Amy Vickery, wife of assistant coach Craig Vickery).

October 1, 2011:
BOYS CLAIM ANOTHER SECTIONAL CROWN: With 5-0 shutouts over Yorktown in the semifinals and Muncie Central in the finals, Delta claimed its 19th straight sectional tennis championship.

Sept 10, 2011:
700 VICTORIES FOR COACH CLELAND: Coach Tim Cleland (pictured above with parents Dave and Jeanne Cleland) became the fifth tennis coach in Indiana history to reach 700 career varsity victories when the Eagles shut out Kokomo 5-0 during the Fall 2011 season. A few days later on Sept. 15, the team celebrated the milestone with a recognition ceremony prior to the home match against Northeastern. The Eagles beat a strong Northeastern team 5-0 for victory number 702!

Summer 2011:
RECORD TOTAL OF 249 CAMPERS ATTEND 16TH ANNUAL TIM CLELAND TENNIS CAMP:

Several hundred outstanding action photos were taken by photographer Joni Sanders during the 2011 Tim Cleland Tennis Camp Thanks Joni!
              See 2011 Camp Photos here