ALL BULLDOG
January 29-February 3, 2024 Marysville Jr/Sr High School
Coach Mary Kessinger-Wassom was named the Kansas Coaches Association’s regional and overall high school girls’ tennis coach of the year recently. Kessinger-Wassom, who has coached for 27 years at Marysville High School, received the most votes from Class 3-2-1A coaches, which qualified her for the overall honor. Overall is made up of 3-2-1A, 4A, 5A and 6A teams. “She has developed many, many solid players over the years and helped them qualify and medal at state,” said Aaron O’Donnell, the Kansas Tennis Coaches Association chair. “Her dedication to the sport is tremendous.” Kessinger-Wassom’s girls’ teams were back-to-back state runners-up in 3-2-1A tournaments. Her Bulldogs have won four straight North Central Kansas League titles. Tennis has always been a part of Kessinger-Wassom’s life. She played for the Bulldogs and then Bethel College. She coached at Wichita Southeast before returning to Marysville. She has run several tournaments, tennis camps and events and been an instructor in the summer at the University of Kansas and Bethel. She has run a youth tennis camp every summer here for 27 years. “I have enjoyed the opportunity to coach so many student athletes and have given to something I am so passionate about,” she said. “My coaching staff of Lana Pekarek and Sheldon Smith is equally a part of this award. Tommy McNish is too. We have such amazing support from our Bulldog tennis family and the amazing Kramer family tennis facility makes it more inviting to be part of this program. Our community and our school provides the support we need.”
