TENNIS: Bowers earns All-ohio status at state tournament

COLUMBUS
Norwalk freshman Trevor Bowers reached the second round and earned All-Ohio status Friday in Columbus.
Bowers won his first match at the Division II State Singles Tournament to advance to the second round.
St. Mary Central Catholic sophomore Andrew Linden was bounced in the first round.
The only freshman in the Div. 2 bracket, Bowers topped Anderson Ribiero, of  Martins Ferry, 6-4, 6-4. He lost in the second round to Canton Central Catholic junior Colin Bernier 6-0, 6-1.
“He had a very good first match,’’ Truckers coach Ray Scheid said. “We were a little worried about him being nervous. He was down most of the second set, but he came back.’’
Kyle Bowers, Trevor’s older brother, advanced to the second round in the 2005 singles tournament.
“We’re proud of (Trevor’s) efforts to get to the second round,’’ Scheid said. “Trevor has had pressure and he had to play through it. It’s nice that he handled the pressure.’’
Linden lost his first-round match, 6-1, 6-1, to Columbus Wellington School’s Ian Wagner.
Linden, the son of 1981 doubles champion Doug Linden, was the first state qualifier for the Panthers since Jeremy Miller, who won the tournament in 2002 as a junior and a second-rounder in 2004.
Bowers closed the season with a 33-2 mark, tying Brad Emmons for the most wins in a single season at Norwalk.
“I’m looking forward to him getting better the next three years from a different angle,’’ said Scheid, who will step down as the Truckers tennis coach and take over as Norwalk’s Director of Student Activities Aug. 2.