Franklin junior Rylie Wilkison is the Daily Journal’s Player of the Year in girls tennis.
Daily Journal file photo
The most accomplished team in almost a half-century of Franklin girls tennis didn’t do what it did without a leader.
Rylie Wilkison, this is your cue.
The junior finished the season with a 24-2 record at No. 1 singles, helping the Grizzly Cubs to the state semifinals while nabbing Daily Journal Player of the Year honors for a second consecutive spring.
“All my teammates play competitively, and worked to improve in the offseason and be the best players we’re capable of,” Wilkison said. I knew I had to put in a lot of time, and I’m very happy with my season, my teammates and how we grew as a team.
“Just the practices we had and helping each other out with certain hits. Everyone enjoyed each other. That and just how much work everyone put in definitely contributed.”
Franklin rode a 27-0 mark into the state semifinals before dropping a 4-1 decision to eventual runner-up South Bend St. Joseph. It was the deepest postseason run in program history, the Grizzly Cubs’ previous bests being team regional titles in 1982, 1983, 2009 and 2022.
Thus, the past few months were special; so were the players making up longtime coach Rusty Hughes’ latest roster.
“It was just a lot of hard work from a lot of different people,” said Hughes, the District 5 Coach of the Year. “We have players who play other sports, so they stay in shape and get on the tennis court as much as possible.
“They put in the work to stay on top of their game.”
That’s reflected on the Daily Journal’s 2023 All-County team, with all seven Franklin starters earning first-team notice.
Center Grove, which finished ranked 13th in the state in the final coaches poll (Franklin was fifth), also has a strong presence with its top two singles players and both doubles combinations making first team.
And though Wilkison goes out of her way to volley the credit to teammates, coaches and the community that supported them, her talent on tennis courts in and around Johnson County proved unavoidable.
“Rylie works hard on and off the court,” Hughes said. “Academically, she’s really, really strong. In the weight room, she’s really, really strong. She’s improved all aspects of her game. Her strength is her conditioning.”
Her own harshest critic, Wilkison looks forward to putting in the work necessary to be even better next spring.
“I still have so much room to improve,” she said. “I’m really dedicated to the sport.”
ALL-COUNTY TEAM
The 2023 All-County team for girls tennis:
Singles
Val Arriz, Center Grove sophomore: Compiled a deceptive 2-11 record at No. 1 singles and was 5-5 at the 2 spot while playing one of the state’s most difficult schedules … All-District 5 and honorable mention All-State.
Chelsie Rayl, Franklin junior: The Grizzly Cubs’ No. 2 singles player finished season with 24-2 mark … All-Mid-State Conference, All-District 5 and honorable mention All-State.
Sloane Small, Center Grove freshman: Made an impression in first season of varsity by starting the season at No. 3 singles, going 8-2, before moving up a notch in the lineup and compiling an 8-5 mark … All-District 5 and honorable mention All-State.
Rylie Wilkison, Franklin junior: County Player of the Year for a second straight season … Finished with a 19-2 record … Named first team All-State, and all-conference and all-district.
Emma Williams, Franklin senior: Completed season with 23-3 record … Indiana All-Star who was also all-conference, all-district and honorable mention All-State.
Doubles
Ava Beecher and Lauren Dick, Center Grove: Trojans’ No. 1 duo completed the season with a 9-2 record, earning first team All-State honors … Dick started the season at No. 1 singles and was then 10-3 overall in doubles competition, while Beecher was 13-8.
Ailyn Hendricks and Marnie Moore, Franklin: First team All-State after going 24-3 together … Top-ranked doubles combination in District 5 … All-Mid-State Conference … Hendricks was Indiana All-Star and Academic All-State.
Kate Pinnick and Kennedy Urban, Franklin: The Grizzly Cubs’ No. 2 tandem finished a perfect 22-0 … All-District 5 and second team All-State.
Anna Runkle and Peri Small, Center Grove: Junior classmates played No. 2 doubles the entire season for the Trojans, going 16-7.
Honorable mention
Singles: Emerson Donaldson, Center Grove
Doubles: Cathy Nguyen and Kinsey Shipp, Whiteland; Alexa Sichting and Lanie Swanson, Indian Creek
