Girls tennis: Dual state tournament roundup

Apr. 27—CHSAA implemented a new state tennis format for all classifications this year. In the past, CHSAA officials would tally up the scores from the three-day, individual tournament to determine the team champions at Class 3A, Class 4A and Class 5A.

That May 11-13 competition will focus solely on the individuals now.

On Wednesday, the top 16 teams in each classification began the new single-elimination dual bracket, which will eventually whittle down to three state team champions come May 16. Eight local squads made the cut.

Fairview (5A), Niwot (4A), Holy Family (3A) and Peak to Peak (3A) all advanced after collecting wins in the first round.

Class 5A

No. 2 Fairview vs. No. 15 Arapahoe, 7-0 win

Over the past few years, 5A state tennis has morphed into a battle of Cherry Creek vs. Fairview. Cherry Creek, which has won the team title all but two years since 1995, edged them out every time.

Fans may very well see the second-seeded Knights face off with the top-seeded Bruins again come the middle of May. But first, the Knights had to get through Arapahoe. The Warriors didn't put up much of a fight.

Fairview blew Arapahoe away with wins at all seven lines, none of the matches of which went to three sets.

Junior No. 1 singles state runner-up Quinn Bernthal led the effort at the top, burying Berkeley McKinnon in 12 straight games. Seniors Elle Middleton (3 singles) and Lizzy Roth/Virginia Gomulka (1 doubles) achieved similar sweeps.

Only senior Maria McDowell/junior Vivian Cao (3 dubs) saw real competition. After the pair handled Carlee Hansmeier/Avery Hicks with a 6-2 score in the first set, they had to take an extra game, going 7-5, to put an end to the Warriors' comeback attempt in the second.

Flawless in the first round, Fairview will now go head-to-head with No. 7 Rock Canyon at home on Friday at 4 p.m.

No. 11 Boulder vs. No. 6 Fossil Ridge, 7-0 loss

A year after saying goodbye to its ace, Lily Chitambar, Boulder took on new life through its returners. The Panthers earned a nod as one of the best 11 teams in 5A, but couldn't match up with the fire that fellow Front Range League foe Fossil Ridge was throwing down.

The Panthers ended their team-centric season with a 7-3 record in duals behind junior 1 singles player Sandra Redak, who won seven of those dual matches and lost just two. The three lines that followed achieved similar success thanks to freshman Tessa Botha (2 singles, 6-2), freshman Jessie LeBlang (3 singles, 6-2) and seniors Mandarava Jamyangling-Kawaguchi/Filippa Mudsam (1 dubs, 8-3).

No. 16 Legacy vs. No. 1 Cherry Creek, 7-0 loss

As the last team to make the cut for the team tournament, Legacy had to test its skills against the baddest squad in the entire state. Cherry Creek did what it does best, and buried all seven of Legacy's lines.

Much like the Fairview-Arapahoe battle, none of the matches made it to the third set, but 1 dubs came tantalizingly close.

After getting shut out in a 6-0 first set, Legacy's senior Emily Smith/junior Lan Tran very nearly stormed all the way back to claim the second set before falling 7-6 (7-1). The Lightning ended their season going 8-3 in dual play after all seven lines ended with winning records. Senior Emma Nguyen, at 3 singles, led that impressive effort with a 9-2 record.

Class 4A

No. 5 Niwot vs. No. 12 Dakota Ridge, 7-0 win

Niwot doesn't do "easy."

After putting together an incredibly tough regular-season schedule — during which the Cougars went 7-4 in dual play — they earned one of the more favorable seeds for the Class 4A team tournament.

Dakota Ridge didn't stand a chance.

The Cougars ended the Eagles' run by stealing every single set. Senior Alys Pop led the charge at 1 singles with a 6-1, 6-0 campaign over Clare Pribble as freshman Sahasra Kolli (2 singles) and juniors Caitlyn Carmichael/Sarada Gundavarapu ended their respective matches in 12 games.

Now, the Cougars must make the trip north to No. 4 Thompson Valley, who barely escaped a strong test from No. 13 Longmont and earlier beat Niwot 4-3 during the regular season.

No. 13 Longmont vs. No. 4 Thompson Valley, 4-3 loss

Longmont tennis burst onto the scene this year behind the leadership of first-year head coach Cade Kloster.

Just last week, the Trojans edged 3A's top-seeded Holy Family for their first Northern Colorado Athletics Conference title in 36 years behind senior Lauren Pavot, who's been on a tear at 1 singes all year long.

They very nearly got the better of Thompson Valley on Wednesday, as all three singles lines rose to the top of the competition. The Eagles, however, won the war through doubles. Pavot dominated Allie Mertens with 6-2, 6-1 scores. No. 2 and 3 singles didn't have such an easy ride.

Sophomore Caroline Pomeroy (2 singles) needed every point she earned before securing a 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) victory. Junior Stella Rulon (3 singles) quickly buried Jayna Erickson in a 6-1 first set, but Erickson clawed her way back in a second set that saw a 7-6 (7-5) Rulon victory.

The Trojans ended their dual-play season with a 7-2 record and will now focus on the individual side of the game.

Class 3A

No. 1 Holy Family vs. No. 16 Colorado Springs School, 7-0 win

Dubbed 3A's best regular-season team, Holy Family didn't disappoint in its postseason opener. The Tigers made quick work of the Kodiaks and barely let them gain an inch.

Every single line won its match in two sets, and none allowed an opponent to win more than three games. Sophomore Annabelle Kenny (1 singles) led at the top with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kelly Feng.

The doubles lines — which are arguably the Tigers' toughest competitors — secured a few sweeps at 1 dubs (junior Clara Meisner/senior Sarah Stonehocker) and 4 dubs (seniors Katelyn Morris/Alesandra Wise).

Now, the Tigers will prepare to take on No. 9 St. Mary's Academy, which barely defeated No. 8 Dawson in round one.

No. 4 Peak to Peak vs. No. 13 Berthoud, 7-0 win

On the heels of a dominant season, during which Peak to Peak won seven of eight duals, the Pumas carried that momentum into the early round of the team tournament. Every single line earned a victory over Berthoud.

Only two of the 14 sets played provided tight scores, as junior Quinn Burns (3 singles) won with a 6-4, 6-1 campaign and sophomore Ranye Ezenekwe/freshman Sydney Parkinson (1 dubs) won with a 7-5, 6-0 final.

Sophomore Lena Crotty led from the top at 1 singles, but had to work a bit harder than most of her teammates to defeat Berthoud's best player with a 6-3, 6-2 campaign. Now, the Pumas must face one of their toughest tests yet when they host No. 5 Vail Christian on Friday at 3 p.m.

No. 8 Dawson vs. No. 9 St. Mary's Academy, 4-3 loss.

In a matchup as tight as an 8-9, it came as no surprise that Dawson's season-ending loss came all the way down to the wire.

The Mustangs started off on the right foot with St. Mary's Academy forfeits at 2 singles and 2 dubs, to grant sophomore Mia Jones and sophomore Caitlin Budacz-Kauflin/senior Mia Stein effortless wins.

The Wildcats dominated four of the other five lines, leaving the lone earned Dawson victory to seniors Emma Berdou/Eden Handler at 4 dubs, who won in two sets.

The Mustangs ended their team effort this season with a 5-5 record in dual play.