Tigers maintain success on the court
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 3 months AGO
The Ephrata High School boys tennis team maintained its undefeated record on the road late last week.
EPHRATA – The Ephrata Tigers (7-0) boys tennis team took care of business on the road against the Ellensburg Bulldogs (4-4), winning 4-1 and keeping their undefeated season alive. With dominant performances from Josh Mullin’s singles win and a doubles victory from Charles Flynn and Jacob Wolther, this team was a unified front.
With how the season has gone thus far and how they prepared for their matches, head coach Greg Becker felt anything but a win would be unexpected.
“These guys literally are all for one and one for all, and so it's hard not to be really happy with a situation like that. I think that's what's gotten them the success,” Becker said.
Despite dropping one singles match, the Tigers won the rest of their matchups in the first two sets. In doubles, Becker gave a lot of praise to Flynn and Wolther. Not only have they performed at a high level as a tandem, but their leadership amongst the team does not go unnoticed.
“They just come in, and they drive the heart of the team, and when they get done first, they're out there cheering on the rest of the guys, and everybody kind of takes energy from that,” he said.
Becker made note of Flynn’s ability to diagnose the action ahead of time and be proactive in play while Wolther is quick at the net.
“These two guys are in the game mentally the whole time, and so that makes them dangerous,” Becker said.
The Tigers are focused on not letting the hot start distract them from the work left for the rest of this season.
“You know, our goal is, of course, to be league champions, and if we're undefeated, then we're going to be the league champions, but you gotta focus on the match and not the numbers that come after. Let's celebrate later, but let's focus on the here and now, and they do that,” he said.
The Tigers are looking ahead to their big matchup with the East Valley Red Devils, who are currently 8-2 in the season.
ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Maverick's trainer shares tips for safe summer conditioning
MOSES LAKE — With August on the horizon, the return of local high school athletics is drawing closer by the day. Lily Rodriguez, who serves as the athletic trainer at Moses Lake High School, shared some tips for how athletes can prepare for outdoor sports amidst heat and fluctuating air quality. "They need to start slowly entering into the heat as well," Rodriguez said. "They need to be acclimated (to the heat). It takes about 10 to 14 days of slow and gradual increase in activity. The first thing that they got to start doing is physical conditioning."
Eastern Washington BMX tracks team up for Race for Life fundraiser
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake BMX will be participating in the Race for Life fundraiser the first weekend of August. A nationwide event, Eastern Washington BMX entities are adapting it into a four-track series across Walla Walla, Columbia Basin, Spokane and Moses Lake, President of Moses Lake BMX Jeff Niehenke said. "We try to see who can raise the most money amongst the tracks," Niehenke said. "We have a traveling trophy that goes along with that for bragging rights. Along with that, we also do a four-race series for the riders, and we have end-of-series awards for those who get the most points through those four races."
Mavericks wrestlers gain national experience in Fargo
MOSES LAKE — Eli Anderson and Conner Duvall from the Moses Lake Mavericks wrestling program recently returned from Fargo, North Dakota for the 2026 US Marine Corps Junior nationals. "I think I performed good," Anderson said. "But I don't think I performed my best; I could have done better in my last match to make it further."