PREP TENNIS: Coeur d'Alene girls win regional title
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 11 years, 8 months AGO
COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene High doubles teams of Sonja Jacobson and Lexie Carlsen and Courtney Gunnerson and Leah Langdon finished second and third respectively to help the Vikings win the 5A Region 1 tournament girls championship for the first time since 2006 at Lake City High.
Caitlin McHugh was second in singles and the mixed doubles team of Sloane Booterbaugh and John Campbell finished second.
"Some of my girls didn't have the outcomes they wanted, but the team title made them forget about that," Coeur d'Alene coach Laura Taylor said. "They've worked hard all year long and they deserve it."
The top three in each qualify for the state 5A tournament starting on Friday at Timberline High in Boise.
Brittany Engle and Kyle Newton won the mixed doubles title and Lincoln Hill finished third in boys singles to qualify for Post Falls.
Jacob Dahl and Nick Jordan finished second in boys doubles for Lake City to qualify.
Lewiston won the boys regional title.
BOYS TEAM SCORES - 1, Lewiston 58.5. 2, Post Falls 42. 3, Lake City 33. 4, Coeur d'Alene 18.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES - 1, Coeur d'Alene 59. 2, Lewiston 49.5. 3, Lake City 17. 4, Post Falls 11.
COMBINED TEAM SCORES - 1, Lewiston 108. 2, Coeur d'Alene 77. 3, Post Falls 52. 4, Lake City 50.
(Top three advance to state)
BOYS SINGLES - Championship: Rafa Hewett-Steiger, Lewiston, d. Cesar Garcia, Lewiston, 6-0. 6-0. Third place: Lincoln Hill, Post Falls, d. Jordan Cates, Lake City, 6-1, 6-2.
BOYS DOUBLES - Championship: Jake Kucera/Chad Roberts, Lewiston, d. Jacob Dahl/Nick Jordan, Lake City, 6-0, 6-0. Third place: Seth McLeod/Casey Benton, Post Falls, d. Dakota Burocker/Ian Lynch, Coeur d'Alene, 6-4, 6-2.
GIRLS SINGLES - Championship: Christine Sayler, Lewiston, d. Caitlin McHugh, Coeur d'Alene, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. Third place: Josey Jagelski, Lewiston, d. Abby Steed, Coeur d'Alene, 6-0, 6-1.
GIRLS DOUBLES - Championship: Jerica Kingsbury/Z.J. Mayton, Lewiston, d. Sonja Jacobson/Lexi Carlsen, Coeur d'Alene, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Third place: Leah Langdon/Courtney Gunnerson, Coeur d'Alene, d. Megan Dibble/Hannah Olvera, Lake City, 6-2, 6-2.
MIXED DOUBLES - Championship: Brittany Engle/Kyle Newton, Post Falls, d. Sloane Booterbaugh/John Campbell, Coeur d'Alene, 6-2, 6-3. Third place: Cameron Kirk/Rachel Ozeran, Lewiston, d. Nathan Freeman/C.C. Cates, Lake City, 6-1, 6-4.
4A: Strong doubles lead Bulldogs; Lakeland brothers triumph
MOSCOW - Megan Rockwell and Kennedy Search dominated the girls doubles, and Nicolette Jessen and Carson Nygren won the mixed doubles bracket on Saturday at the 4A Region 1 tennis tournament.
The Bulldogs qualified nine players for state next week, as many of the matches became a battle of attrition as the asphalt courts were sweltering on a hot day.
"Megan and Kennedy methodically dismantled their opponents with solid volleys and strong returns," said Bulldogs head coach Kent Anderson. "There were some very good points, but the outcome was never in question."
Lakeland won a regional title in boys doubles, with senior Godwin Peck teaming with his sophomore brother, Matthew, to beat a Moscow team 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the championship match.
The Peck brothers had not played doubles during the season - they played some last season - so were seeded No. 4 at regionals. They beat the No. 1 seeded team from Sandpoint in three sets the semifinals. Both played singles this season - Godwin would have been the No. 1 seed to regionals.
"Both would have had a chance to go to state in singles," Lakeland coach Jeremy Montang said. "But putting them together in doubles, we thought, gave them a better chance of placing higher (at state)."
Godwin Peck went to state two years ago in boys doubles, finishing fifth. The Peck brothers fell short of a state berth last year.
Nygren and Jessen downed teammates Katie Mares and Collin Jurenka in an all-Sandpoint mixed doubles final, winning in three hard-fought sets. Mares and Jurenka also punched their ticket to state after bouncing back to beat Moscow in the consolation final.
"Katie and Collin played their best tennis of the year in winning the first set," said Anderson of the mixed doubles final. "Carson began crushing forehands in the final two sets while Nicolette backed him up with her usual solid ground game."
Micah Buckmiller and Alex Hon won the consolation in the boys doubles draw, getting stronger as the tournament wore on while their Moscow opponents needed a medical timeout because of the heat.
Bailey Scrimsher played more than four hours to win three matches on Saturday in the girls singles consolation and earn her spot at state, outlasting an opponent in the final who had to be treated by an ambulance for heat exhaustion.
"Somehow the Sandpoint athletes were able to play their best tennis even with extreme heat and sun," lauded Anderson. "I guess this is just another tribute to the Sandpoint drill plus the dedication of the athletes. I couldn't be more proud."
Anderson also praised the play of Lorenzo DeBernardi, who survived more than five hours on the court in three matches before falling to a Moscow player in the consolation final.
The top two finishers qualified for state, which is Friday and Saturday at the Boise Racquet and Swim Club.