Warpecha disappointed at state

Don’t count Hinsdale South senior Kim Warpecha as a fan of the IHSA.

Warpecha was critical of the IHSA’s decision to cancel the consolation rounds at the state meet Oct. 20 due to rain throughout the day.

Warpecha and doubles partner Emma Adcock, a junior, competed in only one match at the state meet after losing 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4-2) to York’s Torrie Graham and Gabby Riek in a match that was halted Thursday and had to be resumed Friday due to the rain at Elk Grove.

Warpecha said she felt the IHSA could have been better prepared by having backup indoor sites for the state meet, which has been the case in previous years plagued by weather.

“I was disappointed in an organization like the IHSA,” Warpecha said. “They didn’t have to cancel all the back draws in the tournament. There were so many girls looking forward to playing and then you had half the teams go home right away.”

The cancelation of the consolation bracket prevented Warpecha and Adcock’s match against Danville’s Rachel and Becca Lewis from getting played.

The first round of the state meet was a marathon for Warpecha and Adcock, who made their second appearance together. Last year, the Hinsdale South duo won six consecutive matches to go 7-2 and reached the consolation quarterfinals.

The state meet was supposed to start in the morning of Oct. 20, but play did not begin until after lunch.

The first-round match was halted by more rain with Warpecha and Adcock leading 4-3 in the second set. The doubles teams waited two hours, but could not continue. The match was picked up from where it left off at 8 a.m. Friday back at Elk Grove.

“Unfortunately, the IHSA organized the tournament poorly,” Warphecha said.

Warpecha returned to play this year despite having back surgery in December. She spent the first half of the regular season playing with junior Andrea Wakim before reuniting with Adcock, who was playing singles earlier in the year.

Warpecha was with Wakim in the first meeting against York’s Graham and Riek and won 6-4, 6-3.

“I was unsure how it would go. I wanted to play in high school, but I didn’t know how the surgery would go,” Warpecha said. “I had a lot of back pain at the beginning of the season.”

Warpecha doesn’t know what her future might be regarding tennis. She said she would like to play in college, but knows academics will come first.

The state meet marked her final appearance with Adcock, who has competed in three state meets for racket sports including the spring’s state badminton meet for the Hornets.
“I will miss the atmosphere of the high school team, the bus rides to the meets and I’ll miss the meets when I get to strategize with Emma on the court,” Warpecha said.

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