Some good news and not so good news. That’s what the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls tennis team received when practices began a couple weeks ago for the 2001 spring season.

First, the good news: The team has several letter-winners back from a successful 2000 campaign, according to head coach Ricky Carver.

"We have quite a few lettermen returning," he said. "Amanda Frazier, a sophomore, played no. 1 doubles last year. Emily Harclerode, a sophomore, played no. 2 doubles a year ago. Tracy Berhost, a junior, played doubles last year. Chesleigh Keene played at no. 2 doubles as well. Colette Hall is a junior who saw a lot of playing time a year ago at no. 3 doubles. Senior Melinda Lee played no. 3 singles last year. So we have a pretty good group to work with."

Senior Wendy Decker is up from the junior varsity but is expected to see quite a bit of playing time this year. Freshman Amanda North played a lot this summer and winter will likely play. Freshman Arista Petillo, who comes from a tennis-playing family, looks to make an immediate impact on the team. Ashley Reed, coming off the basketball team at Dolores, will be eligible soon.

More good news: Two foreign exchange students will likely see court time. In fact, Japanese transfer Ihtsku Hyakuno, a sophomore, will be the top singles player. The other is a German student, Jenny Trendlebernd, who could see quite a bit of action. She is a senior at Dolores High School.

"She has never played in high school tennis but she has played in a lot of adult tournaments. She is a tough player. She has very good ground strokes. She’s a good baseliner. Her serves are a little weak so we will have to work on that," he remarked.

Carver said Trendlebernd knows how to play tennis and will be among the top three in singles.

The team also has quite a few freshman out who are good athletes but have no tennis experience. However, new this year is a four-game junior varsity schedule. Carver hopes to give them some playing time. Carver currently has 27 girls out for the sport, the largest group to start the season in years.

But where there is good news, sometimes there is bad news: Four lettermen from a year ago opted to do something else this spring and decided not to come out.

"That hurt us. We had four quality players who decided to do something else, which is fine. But we went from possibly going from a very good team to being a good team," Carver added.

As far as the outlook, Carver will once again have a fairly young team.

"The trouble right now is that we have a general lack of work ethic. Some of them come to practice late and they play around at practice. They need to get focused and be ready to work when they get on the court. But we can overcome that. We are still very young. We would not have been quite so inexperienced had those other players come out. But right now, I just want them to dedicate these next two months to tennis and have fun."

The Panthers opened the season Friday afternoon, March 9, at Paonia. They visit Delta at 9 a.m. and Cedaredge at 11 a.m. today, March 10. They return home to host Southwest League rival Montrose at 3 p.m. Friday, March 16, and host Hotchkiss at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 24.

Following spring break, the Panthers return to action by visiting Fruita-Monument in Fruita on April 5. The Western Slope Open is scheduled for Grand Junction April 6-7. Rival Durango visits Cortez on April 10 and then a trip to Farmington to play Piedra Vista on April 12. The Panthers go to Durango on April 17. Central of Grand Junction comes in on April 20 and Fruita on April 21. Then it is off to Glenwood Springs on April 20 and Grand Junction High the next day.