Page 11 - Reedley Exponent 8-9-18 E-edition

B3 | Thursday, August 9, 2018 www.reedleyexponent.com
RHS girls tennis looks to build in 2018
File Photo / The Exponent
Emma Mulligan is a newcomer to the Reedley High Pirates girls tennis team in 2018. Mulligan is in her first season playing tennis for RHS after playing soccer and softball for the past three seasons.
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
After winning the North Yosemite League champion- ship in 2017 with a team full of seniors, the Reedley High Pirates girls tennis team will have fresh new faces on the team in 2018.
Randy Lepp, Reedley High Pirates girls tennis head coach, said that with only one returning player from last season's team, he is looking to continue the momentum.
“After the season it looked like we were going to be a pretty inexperienced team with Jocilynn Pueblas being the only girl with varsity ex- perience,” Lepp said. “But we did have a strong JV team last year and that brought up five solid players in Corynne Mar- rufo, Melissa Gomez, Yesenia Segovia, Xiadani Guzman and Megan Brewster.”
Lepp said that a few fresh faces also will look to make an impact when the 2018 sea- son starts on Tuesday, Aug. 14, against Kingsburg High School at Reedley High.
“During the summer, two
transfers showed up at RHS. VictoriaFonseca fromNorth High School in Covina and Ro- berta Garcia, a transfer from Immanuel,” Lepp said. “You add to that All-League soccer and softball standout Emma Mulligan,who decided to play tennis her senior year, and things are looking more promising every day.”
Lepp said that despite the inexperience on the team, he be- lieves this could still be another special season for the Pirates.
“I think that the success we have had in the last couple of years can be duplicated with this group. They practice hard, have great attitudes and are athletics,” Lepp said. “Many of these girls have been success- ful soccer and softball players so they are very competitive and bring speed and athleticism to the team.”
The Pirates open defense of their NYL title on Thurs- day, Sept. 6, against Fresno High School at Reedley High.
“It's always exciting when you have basically a whole new team,” Lepp said. “I'm looking forward to the challenge of getting them to reach their potential.”
File Photo / The Exponent
The Reedley High Pirates girls tennis team will open the season on Tuesday, Aug. 14, against Kingsburg High School at Reedley High. The Pirates are the defending North Yosemite League champions.
Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent
LEFT TO RIGHT: Amanda Fossen Burton, Heather Goodman Morris, Jack Edwards, Marie Byrd Harris and Brian Tessler were the five inductees into the 2018 Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame. They were inducted during the 27th Annual Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on Aug.4inthecafeteriaatReedleyCollege. BELOW:EdKezirian,masterofceremonies,presentsBrianTesslerwithhisplaque.
Contributed
The Reedley College Ti- gers football team will be holding an open practice on Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Reedley College practice field.
The second annual 'First Fruits' tailgate, scrimmage and barbecue will start at 6:15 p.m. at the practice field at Reedley College.
“It is an awesome day to celebrate college football in Reedley. You will see a team with a lot of talent,” Marty said. “We will have a crisp or- ganized practice.”
Admission to the event is
free and food will be available. All Tigers football alumni and supporters are welcome
to attend.
Reedley College will prati-
ce for two more weeks before holding a scrimmage against College of the Sequoias from Visalia on Tuesday, Aug. 21, in Visalia.
They then will open the 2018 season on Saturday, Sept. 1, at De Anza College in Cupertino.
The Tigers then will play Yuba College on Saturday, Sept. 8.
It will be the home opener for the Tigers at 1 p.m. at Sal Gonzalez Field.
File Photo / The Exponent
By Chris Aguirre
Chris@midvalleypublishing.com
Perseverance was the theme of the night during the 27th Annual Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet.
Inductees Amanda Fossen Burton, Jack Edwards, Marie Byrd Harris, Heather Good- man Morris and Brian Tes- sler each shared stories and thanked friends and family in attendance on Aug. 4 in the cafeteria at Reedley College.
Burton was the first to be introduced by Ed Kezirian, master of ceremonies and Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame member.
The event began with a social hour.
The athletes, along with their friends and families, reminisced with former coaches and teammates.
After dinner was served to those who attended the event, Kezirian introduced former Hall of Fame members who
were in attendance.
Former Hall of Fame
Chairman John Perkins, who was the founder of the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame, wel- comed everyone.
He then turned the podi- um over to Kezirian.
It was then time for the inductions.
Burton said that attend- ing Reedley College helped mold her into the person she is today.
“Going to Reedley Col- lege helped set standards that I needed to and used to further my education and ath- letic abilities,” Burton said. “I learned to stay busy, never give up and always give 110 percent.”
Burton was a track and field star for the Tigers from 1998 to 2000. She was chosen as Reedley College's Female Athlete of the Year in 2000. Burton won the high jump
SeeHALLOFFAME onpageB4
The Reedley College Tigers football team will be holding an open practice on Saturday, Aug. 11, at the Reedley College practice field.
Chris Aguirre / The Exponent
Eric Marty is entering his third season as head coach of the Reedley College Tigers football team.
RC football to hold open
practice on Aug. 11