Whitnall hoping practice makes perfect
Whitnall tennis team off to fast start thanks to additional work
Whitnall’s first singles player Alex Dundas returns a shot during the Muskego Quad on Saturday. Photo By Peter Zuzga
If the Whitnall tennis team continues to play the way it did at the Muskego Quad on Saturday, coach Dan Schifano will know exactly what to credit for his team's success.
During spring break, Schifano held six full voluntary practices. He was surprised to have what he estimated at 95 percent of his roster at each practice, putting in the extra time when they could have been out with friends or doing hundreds of other things.
"That helped us," Schifano said. "It gave us a leg up on people a little bit."
And that's not all. Last week Schifano's captains Alex Dundas and Andy Krawczyk came up to him and asked him if they could run captain practices on Friday, a day the Whitnall coach typically gives his team off.
"We're not up there with Greendale or New Berlin Eisenhower yet," Schifano said, "but they believe they can create a lot of havoc, and that's a good thing."
The Falcons, with just two returning starters and only three returning letter winners, won at Muskego thanks to all four singles players - Alex Dundas, Krawczyk, Taylor Marino and Andrew Dundas - posting undefeated days. Andrew Dundas, a freshman, improved to 4-0, as of Monday.
Whitnall defeated the host school, 4-3; Whitefish Bay Dominican, 7-0; and Wauwatosa West, 5-2. Schifano expected his singles players to be solid this spring, and hopes to get continued improvement from his new doubles teams.
If the Falcons do that, look out.
"They swept singles and we swept doubles," Muskego coach Jake Adamson said. "Whitnall has some very nice singles players. They lost a lot of their doubles players from last year and we were able to take advantage of that. If they are able to get a win or two from their doubles teams, they will be a very tough team to beat all year."
Whitnall is replacing all six doubles players from a year ago but all three duos won their opening match against Dominican at the quadrangular.
The Falcons, who also lost to visiting St. Thomas More, 6-1, in a Woodland Conference dual April 15, are in the midst of a busy week. They played New Berlin West and Greenfield at home Monday and Tuesday, visited St. Francis on Wednesday and play at South Milwaukee on Thursday, four consecutive league duals.
"This will pretty much define our season, I feel," Schifano said.
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