Favorites Marian, Fox Finish First
June 1, 2013
By Bill Khan
Special to Second Half
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP — Athletes sometimes have a mantra they repeat to get through tough patches in the heat of competition.
Power-packed words like “compete,” “strong” and “courage” often provide a mental boost to the struggling athlete.
So, what went through the mind of Bloomfield Hills Lahser junior Mollie Fox with the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 1 singles championship on the line?
“‘Angry bubbles and elephants,’” she said. “Those are the words I repeat to myself to laugh and keep things more lighthearted, just when things start to get close.”
There were plenty of tense moments for the top-seeded Fox, who was pushed to a rare three-set match before emerging victorious by a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 score over previously unbeaten senior Sara Remynse of Richland Gull Lake on Saturday at Genesys Athletic Club.
Fox broke Remynse’s serve in the third set to take a 4-2 lead. A break by Remynse closed the deficit to 5-4 before Fox closed it out on her opponent’s serve.
After taking a 4-1 lead in the first set, it was a battle all the way for Fox, who was upset in last year’s semifinals after also coming in with a No. 1 seed.
A relaxed approach helped Fox overcome the burden of high expectations.
“I went in with a little less pressure than before, knowing it’s a game and whatever happens will happen,” Fox said.
Remynse was the Division 3 runner-up as a freshman in 2010. She didn’t play high school tennis the last two seasons, focusing on United States Tennis Association tournaments. After signing with the University of Michigan in the fall, she decided it would be fun to play high school tennis as a senior.
Remynse beat Fox in a USTA tournament last summer, but wound up on the short end of a highly competitive match on Saturday.
“She’s a really good player,” Remynse said. “She deserved to win. She was the better player in the third set. I can’t be mad.”
Birmingham Marian, a powerhouse in Division 2, added a second MHSAA championship to its string of 19 consecutive top-10 finishes. Marian beat Birmingham Seaholm, 27-23. Ada Forest Hills Eastern finished among the top three for the 11th straight year, placing third with 21 points.
“People didn’t think we were going to be as good as what we were,” Marian coach Lincoln Wirgau said. “We have 14 girls on our team, myself and my assistant. We circled up after our team was set, and it was us 16 against everybody else; we were fine with that. I like our odds with those girls and our six seniors.”
A common thread for this year’s team and Marian’s 2010 squad is the presence of a Lunghamer sister.
Kelly Lunghamer was the No. 3 singles champion, and Kristin Lunghamer made the No. 1 doubles semifinals in 2010. This year, freshman Breann Lunghamer matched Kelly’s feat by winning No. 3 singles.
After winning a marathon 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 semifinal over Mason’s Samantha Perkins, Lunghamer won the title with a 6-3, 6-2 decision over Claire Markley of Seaholm.
“I always saw them winning state titles and never knew what a state title was like,” Lunghamer said. “I always watched them being excited and happy about it. It’s pretty cool.”
Lunghamer was Marian’s only singles champion. The Mustangs also had champions at No. 2 doubles, with first-time finalists Tatyanna Dadabbo and Sally Thorensen winning.
Okemos sophomore Emily Struble repeated as No. 2 singles champion in dominant fashion, winning 48 games and losing only five in four matches. She led 5-0 in the first set of the finals against Lauren Dietz of Marian, then lost two games in a row before regrouping for a 6-2, 6-0 victory.
The No. 1 doubles championship duo of senior Nancy Benda and junior Jackie Meier of Seaholm never played together before this year.
Benda was a successful singles player, losing in the semifinals in 2011 and the second round last season in the No. 1 flight. Because of a wrist injury, it was determined that playing doubles would be best for her.
“It was definitely a different game,” Benda said. “I wasn’t used to doubles at the beginning of the season. It was an adjustment period, but Jackie and I came together. It was mostly getting used to the court and having two girls on the other side of the net. There’s more strategy involved.”
Meier was on the championship No. 3 doubles team last year before making the leap in competition to No. 1 doubles.
“At No. 1 doubles, every single team comes out to play so hard,” Meier said.
Lahser won half of the singles titles, with Meryl Reams taking the No. 4 flight with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Catherine Yaldoo of Marian.
Forest Hills Northern’s Stephanie Nguyen and Sarayna Sundaram won No. 3 doubles by beating Kyra Fitz and Danny Harro of East Grand Rapids, 6-2, 6-0.
Seaholm’s Lauren Benderoff and Sam Lareau won No. 4 doubles by a 6-2, 6-1 score over Charlotte Garrison and Madison Lorenz of Bloomfield Hills Andover.
PHOTOS: (Top) Birmingham Marian's Sally Thorensen returns a shot during Saturday's LP Division 2 Finals. She and partner Tatyanna Dadabbo won the No. 2 doubles flight. (Middle) Lahser's Mollie Fox won the No. 1 singles championship, taking the final match in three sets. (Below) Birmingham Seaholm's Nancy Benda and Jackie Meier (left) shake hands with Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern's Victoria Minzlaff and Shelby Moored after winning the No. 1 doubles final. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
Vicksburg's Offord Jr. Beginning 50th, Final Season Coaching Teams to Net Gains
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
March 26, 2025
VICKSBURG — Warner Offord Jr.’s was hardly impressed the first time he played tennis.
That was 55 years ago, when he was heading into his sophomore year at Paw Paw High School.
Still, he continued to play with neighbor boys all that summer, and figured it would end there – until the following spring sports season, when he joined the tennis team.
“I go, it’s not a bad sport after all,” he laughed.
Offord ended up at No. 1 singles his final three years at Paw Paw, graduating in 1973.
Now, at age 70, he is ready to retire at the end of the upcoming Vicksburg’s girls season after 50 years of coaching tennis.
After graduating from Paw Paw, Offord stayed in the area, helping the basketball team and coaching boys and girls tennis there. He coached at his alma mater 28 years, first as an assistant before taking over the tennis programs.
When he heard about a basketball coaching opening at Vicksburg 22 years ago, he applied for the job.
He did not get the head hoops gig, but athletic director Mike Roy offered him a job coaching the girls tennis team.
“I said I’ve got to talk to my wife (Linda Connor-Offord),” Offord said. “I don’t do nothing without talking to my wife, or I’ll be in the doghouse.”
Two days later, the boys tennis coach resigned and Roy offered Offord that job as well.
Once again he consulted his wife, who he gave him the thumbs up.
Offord soon discovered there is a bit of a difference between coaching boys and girls.
“Girls are feisty,” he said. “Girls listen to you. Boys, sometimes they want to do their own thing. When they do that, I say ‘end zone to end zone’ and then they get back to, ‘OK, we’re going to listen to our coach now.’”
He also has rules on the court.
“I believe in discipline. If you curse on the court, it’s an automatic two miles,” he said. “If you throw your racket, it’s an automatic two miles.
“No matter what, we’re going to run. I try to get the kids in shape for the third set.”
With the girls season just underway, Offord has some definite goals.
“We’re going to try to win (Wolverine) conference for the first time in school history,” he said. “The boys did it last year for the first time.
“Before I leave, I’d like to bring home that Regional trophy for the girls. It would be nice to bring home that trophy my last year.”
He is also challenging the girls not only to get back to the MHSAA Finals, but to improve on last year’s finish.
“Two years ago we finished 18th (in Lower Peninsula Division 3). Last year, I told the girls, let’s get up to 15th of 24 teams, and we got 14th.
“This year, if we go to state again, I’m going to tell then, let’s get down to 10.”
Game changer
Offord said today’s high school players are faster and stronger than when he picked up tennis because they use the weight room and do conditioning.
The equipment also has evolved.
“If I had the racket they have now and I could take that back in the ’70s, the racket is so big,” he said. “I had an Arthur Ashe (wooden) racket, I had a Wilson T3000 racket, I had a Kramer and I had a Davis.
“The technology now is unbelievable.”
Offord, who is affectionately called “Doctor O” or the abbreviated “Doc O” by the Vicksburg community, has changed with the times.
“Dr. O’s unwavering passion and exceptional dedication have transformed the program,” Roy said. “His deep understanding of the game, paired with his ability to teach strategy at an elite level, sets him apart.
“Beyond his technical expertise, Dr. O instills a culture of excellence by holding athletes to high standards while maintaining fairness, consistency, and approachability – earning the trust and respect of his team.”
Roy noted that Offord has support around him.
“Since taking the reins, Dr. O has cultivated a winning culture, building on the foundation laid by coach Scott Wills, who continues to lead our summer youth programs,” Roy said.
“Recognizing the importance of strong leadership, Dr. O brought in Nick Foley, a former standout at Sturgis, as his assistant. Together these three men have ignited a culture shift, elevating the team to compete at an exceptional level. Their collective vision, tireless work ethic and commitment to growth has positioned the program for sustained success.”
Offord said he learned from the coaches he had growing up, who instilled not only a competitive spirit but confidence in playing and acceptable conduct on the court.
He mentioned retired Allegan tennis coach Gary Ellis as a mentor.
“Anytime I needed to know anything about tennis, I’d call him and he always had the answer,” Offord said. “I thought the world of him and what he did for that program. I’m trying to do the same thing at Vicksburg.”
Ellis said that Offord “definitely got the kids excited about playing tennis for Vicksburg and enjoying the sport. His kids get better and better during the season.”
The players at Vicksburg and Paw Paw are not the only ones who blossomed under Offord’s coaching.
His son, Warner Offord III, is an assistant to Matt Boven at Mattawan and has been a certified tennis pro for 20 years.
One final run
Offord Jr.’s decision to retire after half a century came at a perfect time, said senior Scarlett Hosner, the Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles player.
“I feel it’s a good ending point because he coached my sister (Josephine, a 2016 grad), too, and he saw me growing up playing tennis,” Hosner said. “It’s like a full-circle moment because it’s my last year and his last year.
“He brings really positive energy. He’s such a nice, fun guy. He makes us enjoy the game, but he can also be serious at times. When we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing, he’s like getting on us.”
In retirement, Offord and his wife plan to do some traveling because “we want to enjoy life while we’re young,” he said.
“It’s been a wonderful 50 years coaching tennis, and it’s going to be sad. It hasn’t hit me yet for the boys, and once the girls season is over, then it will probably really hit me.
“I take great pride in seeing my players excel professionally, academically and as an athlete. I feel good knowing I played a part in that person’s success.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at pamkzoo@aol.com with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Vicksburg girls tennis coach Warner Offord Jr. talks with his team at the start of this spring season. (2) Offord and son Warner Offord III hold up their Regional championship trophy won for Paw Paw in 2003. (3) Offord hits with his players during practice. (4) Scarlett Hosner headshot. (Current photos by Pam Shebest; 2003 photo courtesy of Warner Offord Jr.)