The season is officially over for the men’s and women’s tennis teams. Although team play is finished, some players have advanced to the second round of the individual playoffs.

A couple of the top players from the men’s and women’s tennis teams are in their final season with BC. Neal Wetterholm and Katie O’Leary have shined this season for the Renegades and are both trying to end on a high note.

Both Wetterholm and O’Leary have advanced to the second round of the Western Conference individual playoffs. O’Leary will play a singles match while Wetterholm will play with teammate Kevin Lott in a doubles match.

The women advanced to the Dual Match Playoffs for the second straight season. They were defeated by Palomar 5-2 in the first round April 14. The match took five and a half hours to complete due to two rain delays and drying of courts. The match was completed at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Palomar’s overall record was 14-2 with an 11-1 conference record.

Bakersfield went 13-6 overall and 9-3 in the conference.

“We’re really pleased to have gotten in for the second year in a row,” said head coach Gene Lundquist.

Katie O’Leary has had a magnificent end to her 2009 season. She has played in between the Dickerson twins for most of the season but has really shown that she is the team’s leader toward this final stretch.

O’Leary, a 2006 graduate of Highland High School, started playing tennis in her freshman year.

“My friend was going out for the team and told me that I should go out, too, and be on the tennis team with her, and I was like ‘OK,'” said O’Leary.

Now, seven years later, she is ripping it up for the Renegades week in and week out.

According to her coach, Gene Lundquist, she is “peaking” right now and has been “crushing” everyone.

The numbers don’t lie.

O’Leary continues to extend her singles winning streak, which is now at 10 matches.

But tennis might not be in O’Leary’s future.

She plans on attending Cal Poly and studying nutrition.

Whatever O’Leary decides to do, Lundquist said that she, along with the other players who are leaving, will be deeply missed, not just for their contribution to the team’s winning, but for their leadership on and off the court.

The men won their final regular season match against Allan Hancock in Santa Maria back on April 2. The Renegades cruised to an 8-1 victory.

With the 2009 season coming to a close, men’s head coach Regina Csibi-Krueger is looking forward to next year.

“I have only two freshmen, Kevin Lott and Matt Booth returning for next season. We are looking at a couple new recruits” said Csibi-Krueger.

Wetterholm has been the No. 1 player all of last season and this season, yet he doesn’t feel much negative pressure from being the top player. “I’m used to being in that position. It’s good. I know I have to really be a role model for the guys on the team, especially the ones in their first year. I help them with their game,” said Wetterholm.

As the No. 1, Wetterholm has had to face some of the best players in the conference.

“I feel really bad if I lose because I’m playing the top guy. I don’t want to let the team down,” he said.

All in all, Wetterholm is pleased with his BC career.

“I’m happy. It was really good to play at the college level. I got to play against the great players in California, which made me better.”

Wetterholm graduated from Ridgeview High School in 2007. He played all four years for Ridgeview. He first started playing tennis at age 12 but didn’t get serious with his game until his freshman year of high school.

Wetterholm is weighing his options right now when it comes to school and tennis. He is looking at a couple of universities but is not sure that he will continue in his collegiate tennis career.

“I am thinking about majoring in engineering. Division 1 tennis is really tough, so I’d really have to bear down and focus on my game,” he said. “I would like to play at a four-year, though. It’d be really cool.”

Aside from tennis, Wetterholm also plays the drums in his band. He hopes to play a couple shows around town this summer.

Among those leaving BC are some of the top players for each team including Shabrena and Sarena Dickerson, Wetterholm and O’Leary.

Lundquist is sad to see his top 3 leave but is confident in the rest of his team.

“Our 4, 5, 6, and 7 ranked players are virtually the same,” said Lundquist. “They just happen to be in that order and even though it is an individual sport, we play as a team.” The women have relied on their teamwork to rally back from a couple deficits this season. Lundquist saw the impact that had on the scoreboard.

“A win at number 6 is virtually the same as a win at number 1,” said Lundquist.

The 2009 season was filled with ups and downs for the Renegades. The women went on streaks while the men pulled off victories.