Loaded Bison team taking aim at greatness this spring

McCOOK, Neb. — Get those giant colorfully frosted cookies ready because that big “W” off coach Matt Wiemers’ name will be all over McCook High girls’ tennis again this spring.

Win, win and win and scrape more likes like dough from that last batch in the oven.

Fresh off last year’s Class B top three finish, these Bison are all about winning as their team title featured showed last weekend.

“We return five of our top six varsity players, all of whom won 30-plus matches individually,” Wiemers declared about a 177-36 total record for these five players during 2024. “The goal is to get to the next level and strive for greatness.”

Next level would mean a state title for senior Brooklynn Gillen, who reached the Class B No. 2 singles championship match one year ago.

Both Gillen and No. 1 singles Izzy Clause delivered 38 wins with Gillen losing only twice all season. She gained that finals experience and placed second while Clause captured a Class B seventh-place medal.

Yet McCook’s returning state success does not stop with singles.

Senior Roslyn Wiemers took on Class B’s best No. 1 doubles and baked up a delicious 35 victories versus just nine defeats.

She joined older sister Rowen Wiemers to reach the state semifinals.

Though they fell short of that highest evel, the sisters quickly uncovered one more winning recipe for third place in Class B.

The quest to make sure this cookie does not crumble became a primary pre-season quest for coach Wiemers. At North Platte, Clause joined Roslyn to roll through No. 1 doubles again during a 4-0 tournament title run.

However, there’s plenty of other doubles potential as juniors Elizabeth McConville and Abby Schneider contributed to McCook’s Class B top three team performance last spring.

They were also among the elite ‘W’ group, going 33-9 in varsity No. 2 doubles one year ago.

Schneider joined Gillen for a 4-0 championship at North Platte.

McConville and Cassidy Rogers went 3-1 vs. No. 2 doubles with their only defeat being a 9-7 thriller against Gothenburg. Teammates Jaylee Hammond and Abi Thompson are among other excellent options to fill varsity spots.

They finished 4-0 at No. 2 doubles in that eight-team North Platte doubles tournament where team champ McCook totaled 56 points.

“We have a nice combination of upperclassmen and underclassmen who always push each other. Competition breeds success,” coach Wiemers observed. “We have 30 players out for tennis which provide a lot of competition each day. I love the attitude and demeanor they have shown.”

The Bison reached third last May behind only Class B champion Elkorn North and Grand Island Central Catholic.

Coach Wiemers listed those two as tennis teams to watch in ‘B’ again along with Hastings, Kearney Catholic, York and several eastern schools like state rival Omaha Duchesne.

Fans can watch these McCook girls play a home tri gainst Hershey and North Platte starting at 2 p.m.

They only have two home dates next month on April 1 then April 7.