Tears and a win at Senior Night for Oak Ridge High tennis

Oak Ridge High School tennis team seniors (from left) Ellie Nash, Christian McGinnis, Billy Bennett, Colin McVay and Wyatt Arline are honored April 2. Assistant principal Beth Fisher is at center.

Oak Ridge has five seniors in the 2026 starting lineups for the Wildcat and Lady Wildcat tennis teams. On April 2, before the match vs. Clinton High School, players’ parents and school administrators participated in a Senior Night celebration at the Jackson Square Tennis & Pickleball Facility.

Tears were shed by Coach Joanne Bowman as she talked to the attendees, sharing that “Coach and I are going to miss their laughter, exemplary sportsmanship during competition, and leadership on the practice courts.” A former fifth-grade teacher at Robertsville Middle School, Joanne has known two of the ORHS senior players since 2019 when they attended her science classes.

Joanne and David Bowman want to thank the Tennis Booster Club officers, ORHS Sports Media staff, and school administrators for participating in the ceremony, ORHS Principal Nick Corrigan, Assistant Principal Beth Fisher, Athletic Director Joe Gaddis, and Allen Etheridge, assistant athletic director/sports information director.

The Wildcat tennis team notched a 7-2 victory against the Clinton Dragons. ORHS seniors Wyatt Arline, Billy Bennett, and Colin McVay scored three team points with their singles victories. Billy teamed with ORHS junior Ian Stier to earn their No. 1 doubles point 8-0 over Clinton and McVay/Arline won their No. 2 doubles match 8-5. Ian at No. 2 singles lost only one game, posting an 8-1 victory. The seventh ORHS team point belonged to sophomore Dawson Watson and freshman Daniel Belooussov at No. 3 doubles, turning in another 8-5 score for the Wildcats.