10 athletes qualify for regional tennis

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lions won three titles and advanced entries in all five draws last week at the District 10-2A tennis tournament, also winning the girls and boys team trophies as well as the overall team championship.

Albany will have six entries comprising 10 athletes at the Region II-2A tournament schedule for Monday-Tuesday, April 10-11, at the Richland Tennis Center in North Richland Hills.

With three first place and three second place finishes, the Lions are actually sending more individual players to regional than last year, when they won four district titles.

“Last year, we had nine players advance to regional,” coach M.J. Reneau said. “We’ve got more bodies going this year.”

Albany had nine of 10 entries win at least one match for the second year in a row and had eight top three finishes.

Most of the district tournament was played Thursday, March 30 at Abilene’s Rose Park Tennis Center. Only the mixed doubles team of Abi Hale and Jake Hale played Friday, March 31.

“We were going to play all the finals on Friday unless there was a conflict,” Reneau said. “We had kids in the finals of every draw and most of them needed to go to the FCCLA conference Friday, so we played everything but mixed doubles on Thursday.”

Returning state qualifiers Sidney Russell and Luke Marshall won the singles titles. Marshall dropped just two games in repeating as boys singles champion. Russell, who placed second to teammate Sarah Cotter the last two years, won the girls singles title.

The girls doubles finals was an all-Albany affair with Jaci Chapman and Ella Webb defeating Brooklyn Abbate and Chloe Daugherty in the final. Both pairs will advance to regional.

Cason Fairchild and London Fuentes lost in three sets in the boys doubles finals.

The Hales had to battle through a pair of three setters and survive the tournament’s only playback to earn their regional bid.

Albany will have two regional alternates after Caroline Chapman finished third in girls singles and Brayden Watson finished third in boys singles.

JV Results

Albany only entered three players in the JV division, with all three medaling.

Mimi Ivy ended up second in girls singles, while Bam Becker and Landon Kreitler were third in boys doubles. No match information was available.

Junior High

Reneau said junior high tennis will conduct an intrasquad tournament this week. Reneau said Tuesday she was still working out details for the event, but there was just a small window for it to fit into.

“Junior high track is over, so junior high tennis will start before we take the high school kids to regional,” she said.

DISTRICT TOURNAMENT

Girls Singles

Sidney Russell bye in quarterfinals; def. Brianna Villanueva, Stamford, 6-1, 6-0 in semifinals; def. Kylie Chesser, Hawley, 6-0, 6-1 for championship.

Caroline Chapman def.Jaylee Pittman, Cisco, 2t-6, 6-1, 6-3 in quarterfinals; lost to Kylie Chesser, Hawley, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6; def. Brianna Villanueva, Stamford, 6-4, 7-6 (5) for third place.

Girls Doubles

Jaci Chapman-Ella Webb def. Hanlon-Spangler, Cisco, 6-0, 6-2 in quarterfinals; def. Cantu-Strand, Stamford, 6-0, 6-0 in semifinals; def. Brooklyn Abbate-Chloe Daugherty, Albany. 6-2, 6-2 for championship.

Brooklyn Abbate-Chloe Daugherty def. Wolf-Eisenb ach, Cisco, 6-2, 6-3 in quarterfinals; def. Cory-Frazier, Hawley. 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in semifinals; lost to Jaci Chapman-Ella Webb, Albany, 2-6, 2-6 for championship.

Boys Singles

Luke Marshall def. Braden Burleson, Hawley, 6-0, 6-0 in quarterfinals; def. Dylan Sones, Cisco, 6-0, 6-0 in semifinals; def. Conner Anaya, Cisco, 6-2, 6-0 for championship.

Brayden Watson def Zackary Hernandez, Anson, 6-1, 6-0 in quarterfinals; lost to Conner Anaya, Cisco, 5-7, 1-6 in semifinals; def. Dylan Sones, Cisco, 6-1, 6-1 for third place.

Boys Doubles

Cason Fairchild-London Fuentes def. Shoemaker-Faulks, Stamford, 6-4, 6-2 in quarterfinals; def. Cumpton-Knight, Hawley, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in semifinals; lost to Patanpatan-Patanpatan, Hawley, 6-1, 1-6, 3-6 for championship.

Cade Fairchild-Jaxson Street def. Horn-Campbell, Stamford, 6-2, 6-4 in quarterfinals; lost to Patanpatan-Patanpatan, Hawley, 1-6, 0-6 in semifinals; lost to Cumpton-Knight, Hawley, 1-6, 2-6 for third place.

Mixed Doubles

Abi Hale-Jake Hale bye in quarterfinals; def. Muelstein-Olsen, Stamford, 6-0, 6-0 in semifinals; lost to Paterson-Vega, Stamford for championship; def. Crim-Wright, Hawley 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in playback

Robyn Trail-Woods Peterson lost to Crim-Wright, Hawley, 6-2, 6-7, 2-6 in quarterfinals.