ARGYLE — Just a short time before winning the Class 3A Region II girls singles title, Argyle freshman Maddie Schorlemmer was in the bathroom being patted down with wet paper towels trying to overcome a case of heat exhaustion.
DRC/Al Key
Argyle junior Will Stein, left, and freshman Maddie Schorlemmer, right, each won singles titles at the Class 3A Region II tennis tournament last month and will compete at the UIL state tournament beginning today in Austin.
After winning the first set 6-2 and leading 5-4 in the second set, Schor-lemmer ended up dropping the second set in a tiebreaker, leaving her in tears and at the hands of her coach, a club coach and her mom in the women’s restroom.
“I could’ve won it [in that second set],” she said. “But when I lost that set, I started crying because I wanted to win it so bad and get it over with. I did not feel good. It was really hard.”
She went on to win the third set in convincing fashion with another 6-2 victory, giving her the regional championship over Farmersville’s Becky Forbus. Despite her physical struggles, Argyle tennis coach Mandi Pels didn’t see things happening any other way.
“Here’s the deal: When she walked out on the court after that, the first two or three times the ball was in play, she completely owned the girl,” Pels said. “I was able to get up and go watch my girls doubles play because I knew she had it. I was that confident that Maddie was about to own that. You’re proud of a kid that can do that. That says a lot about their character.”
Now, she’ll join boys singles champion and teammate Will Stein, and Argyle’s girls doubles team of Lacy Blake and Andrea Beathard, at the UIL state tennis tournament in Austin, which begins today.
Stein is making a return to the state tournament after bowing out in the first round last year as a sophomore.
He’ll meet West Columbia’s Ryan Beene in the first round at 9 a.m. today, while Schorlemmer will play Abilene Wylie’s Brooke Dennis at 10:15 a.m. Dennis lost in the state final last year.
Stein admits he didn’t expect much success in last year’s tournament as a wide-eyed sophomore, but this year is different.
“I was kind of disappointed last year, but I wasn’t really expecting a whole lot,” Stein said. “It still kind of hurt when I lost. I don’t want to say I expect to win, but I definitely want to. I’m giving myself a better chance this year.”
His coach isn’t quite so modest.
“He’s been hungry since the season started,” Pels said. “Because of that, he doesn’t mess around with people. He doesn’t try to figure out what his strengths and weaknesses are, he just goes with his strengths and it dominates. I truly believe Will can take this.”
That hunger carries over to the rest of his teammates, including Schor-lemmer, who said she looks up to Stein and sees him as almost a big brother.
In fact, during Schorlemmer’s epic regional championship match, Stein was taking time out of his final (he won 6-1, 6-1) to ask Pels how Schorlemmer was doing.
Stein could do that, considering he didn’t have much of a test, just dropping the two games in the regional final and no other games throughout the tournament.
“Everyone knows he’s the best on our team,” Schorlemmer said. “I really look up to him because I’ve always wanted to be just as good as him when I’m a junior. When he helps me out in my matches, it really helps me. He knows I look up to him so I think he’s just a role model for everyone on our team.”
Though Andrew Morrison is her senior captain, Pels said Stein has begun to take on a leadership role with the team, and fully expects him to embrace that role next year.
“He does that with a lot of the kids,” Pels said. “I see in his future that he’ll be someone in a leadership position even beyond high school. It’s good place for him to grow to. To see what he says makes a difference, and what he does rubs off on other people, is a good thing for him.”
So with four players from Argyle heading to the state tournament, Schorlemmer said the school is making quite a statement for its tennis program.
“Everyone on our team is good and everyone’s happy for the doubles team, too,” she said. “The two singles championships are nice. We knew we’d do good, but not like this good, especially me. It really looks good for the school. Everyone’s just happy we made it.”
ADAM BOEDEKER can be reached at 940-566-6872. His e-mail address is aboedeker@dentonrc.com.
The following is a list of area tennis players who will compete at the UIL state tournament beginning today in Austin:
DENTON
Hee Won Kim (4A boys singles)
ARGYLE
Andrea Beathard (girls doubles)
Lacy Blake (girls doubles)
Maddie Schorlemmer (girls singles)
Will Stein (boys singles)
KRUM
Daniel Atterberry (mixed doubles)
Afton Barber (mixed doubles)
PONDER
Colton Ream (boys singles)
