Game On: Sikeston tennis court repaired after tornado damage

Sikeston senior Kinsley Brandon recently competes on the newly repaired tennis courts.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

SIKESTON — The once-ravaged tennis courts at Sikeston High School have been reborn.

After suffering significant damage from a powerful tornado in May, the courts have been repaired, offering a renewed space and sparking excitement for local athletes and the community.

“Even though our senior year passed, it was great to get out here played at least one time,” said Sikeston senior Linda Clark. “I wish the best to coach DeWitt and all the other kids that get to play on these courts.”

After months of waiting, the Lady Bulldogs tennis team recently took to the newly repaired courts for the first time since the devastating tornado. While their season had already concluded, the team gathered for a practice session to celebrate the completion of the repairs. This special moment allowed the players to enjoy their home court once again, marking a significant milestone in their athletic journey.

“It just looks so much better and so much nicer,” said senior Kinsley Brandon. “There are definitely fewer cracks and holes. That makes things much easier. There were so many times when a ball was coming my way, but it’d hit a crack and go the opposite way. I lost so many points because of that.”

Sophomore Rudy Sullivan highlighted the potential for growth, mentioning that the availability of five courts, compared to the two at the sports complex where they practiced during repairs, would allow for a larger team and more enjoyable practices.

“Now, we can definitely have a bigger team,” Sullivan said. “That will be a lot of fun to be with more girls having a great time.”

The extensive damage caused by the tornado included downed light poles, a demolished fence, and significant foundation damage to the courts themselves. Repairs involved replacing the fencing, repairing and replacing damaged light poles, removing and replacing net posts, filling cracks, and resurfacing the entire court.

"We had to have all of the fencing around the courts removed and replaced," said Sikeston assistant superintendent Andy McGill. "Some of the lights needed to be replaced, some of them needed to be readjusted and there were some poles that were damaged and also needed to be replaced. As for the tennis courts, each of the net posts had to be removed and replaced, all cracks filled in and the entire area had to be resurfaced."

The district opted to use the same court surface as before, due to insurance guidelines. McConnell & Associates (MAC), the company responsible for the repairs, utilized a geotextile fabric repair system to fill in damaged areas and finished with a TieTex fabric and saturated acrylic surface.

The total cost of the repairs, including the lights that still need to be repaired, is nearly $200,000.

McGill attributed the delay in repairs primarily to the availability of tennis court repair companies. MAC, a highly regarded company, had a full summer schedule, and unforeseen damage from the tornado further complicated the timeline.

"We were not expecting a tornado to occur over Memorial Day weekend and create the extensive damage that we had across our community," McGill said. "So, we were not planning a project on the courts for this past summer. Many people do not realize that when schools plan to resurface tennis courts, tracks or update fields, these decisions are made months in advance and companies are contracted at those times.”

In addition to the tennis court repairs, the district is also working on repairs to the school's track.

"We are hoping our track will be completed by Thanksgiving. The company has been working throughout the day and night to complete this project," McGill said. "We have a few more items to finish around the tennis courts once the track is finished. We have one light pole that still needs to be installed and a few lights still need to be adjusted. In addition, we will be having our windscreens installed and our rallymaster backboard for practice will also be placed.

"We feel very fortunate that MAC was able to come help us with our repairs when they did,” he concluded. “We are excited about the updated tennis courts and track that we have for our future seasons. We’re also extremely thankful to our insurance company for all of the help and for working with us with not only our athletic facilities but all of the repairs to our different buildings and tree removal throughout our district. If you haven't had a chance to see the new courts up close, you should definitely stop by and check them out."