PREP TENNIS: Rickert serves her way to back-to-back state championships

5A

Sandpoint girls third at state tourney

BOISE — That's 48 straight wins and counting for now back-to-back state champion Pepper Rickert.

The Sandpoint High sophomore won all four of her matches in straight sets at the 5A State Championship, held Friday and Saturday at Bishop Kelly High, Borah High and the Boise Racquet & Swim Club, to lead the defending state champion Lady Bulldogs to a third-place team finish out of 14 scoring teams.

Rickert, who only lost a total of five games, defeated second-seeded Brinley Nelson of Hillcrest in the title match, 6-1, 6-2. Her four wins propelled her season record to 24-0, which puts her at 48-0 to start her high school career.

Senior-freshman duo Aubrey Knowles and Amelia Poulsen added two wins, senior Hannah Fisher and junior Lily Evans one win in girls doubles. Senior Bella Bailey contributed a win in girls singles for Sandpoint, which scored 27 total points, beating out Century High by one.

On the boys side, senior Jacob Dawson picked up two wins, one in the championship round and one in the consolation bracket, for the Bulldogs, which placed seventh out of 15 scoring teams with five points.

Senior Brennan Johnson and junior Ethan Ballard pulled off a win via a third-set tiebreaker in the first round of the consolation bracket to cap off Sandpoint's wins at the state tournament.

BOYS TEAM SCORES — 1, Bishop Kelly 43.5. 2, Century 42. 3, Idaho Falls 32. 4, Wood River 17. 5, Middleton 15. 6, Skyline 10. 7, Sandpoint 5. 8 (tie), Bonneville, Emmett, Hillcrest, Twin Falls 4. 12, Lewiston 3.5. 13, Burley 2. 14, Mountain Home 1. 15, Lakeland 0.5.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES — 1, Bishop Kelly 47.5. 2, Hillcrest 28. 3, Sandpoint 27. 4, Century 26. 5, Idaho Falls 20. 6, Twin Falls 12. 7 (tie), Bonneville, Middleton, Skyline 6. 10, Emmett 4. 11, Shelley 2. 12, Lewiston 1.5. 13, Wood River 1. 14, Lakeland 1.

Sandpoint Results

BOYS SINGLES — FIRST ROUND: No. 2 Jacob Dawson, Sandpoint, d. Alexander Huber, Emmett, 6-0, 6-1. No. 4 Tiden Lynn, Century, d. Nathan Duke, Sandpoint, 6-1, 6-3. SECOND ROUND: Ellis Brown, Bishop Kelly, d. No. 2 Jacob Dawson, Sandpoint, 6-3, 6-2. CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND: No. 2 Jacob Dawson, Sandpoint, d. Read Cook Burley, 6-2, 6-3. No. 6 Chase Schwartz, Wood River, d. Nathan Duke, Sandpoint, 6-1, 6-0. CONSOLATION THIRD ROUND: No. 6 Chase Schwartz, Wood River, d. No. 2 Jacob Dawson, Sandpoint, 6-3, 6-1. 

BOYS DOUBLES — FIRST ROUND: Luke Perko/Will Guzman, Bishop Kelly, d. Brennan Johnson/Ethan Ballard, Sandpoint, 6-0, 6-3. CONSOLATION FIRST ROUND: Brennan Johnson/Ethan Ballard, Sandpoint, d. Tucker Arthur/Brock Maughan, Minico, 1-6, 6-3, 10-3. CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND: Davis Higley/William Broadbent, Twin Falls, d. Brennan Johnson/Ethan Ballard, Sandpoint, 6-3, 6-0.

GIRLS SINGLES — FIRST ROUND: No. 1 Pepper Rickert, Sandpoint, d. Heidi Hatten, Bishop Kelly, 6-0, 6-0. Bella Bailey, Sandpoint, d. Payton Blodgett, Mountain Home, 6-4, 6-1. SECOND ROUND: No. 1 Pepper Rickert, Sandpoint, d. Kaia Kessler, Hillcrest, 6-0, 6-1. No. 2 Brinley Nelson, Hillcrest, d. Bella Bailey, Sandpoint, 6-1, 6-1. SEMIFINALS: No. 1 Pepper Rickert, Sandpoint, d. No. 4 Lauren Mallory, Bishop Kelly, 6-1, 6-0. CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND: Heidi Hatten, Bishop Kelly, d. Bella Bailey, Sandpoint, 6-1, 6-4. CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: No. 1 Pepper Rickert, Sandpoint, d. No. 2 Brinley Nelson, Hillcrest, 6-1, 6-2. 

GIRLS DOUBLES — FIRST ROUND: No. 4 Aubrey Knowles/Amelia Poulsen, Sandpoint, d. Abigail Ricks/Abby King, Burley, 6-0, 6-1. Kylie Barrus/Maura Barrus, Emmett, d. Hannah Fisher/Lily Evans, Sandpoint, 6-2, 6-1. SECOND ROUND: No. 4 Aubrey Knowles/Amelia Poulsen, Sandpoint, d. Paxton Sliger/Abby McConkie, Middleton, 6-4, 6-2. SEMIFINALS: No. 1 Kayla Nielson/Sofia Guzman, Bishop Kelly, d. No. 4 Aubrey Knowles/Amelia Poulsen, Sandpoint, 6-1, 6-4. CONSOLATION FIRST ROUND: Hannah Fisher/Lily Evans, Sandpoint, d. Callie Barnes/Emily Clark, Hillcrest, 6-4, 4-6, 11-9. CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND: Shayla Belnap/Sophie Anderson, Bonneville, d. Hannah Fisher/Lily Evans, 6-2, 6-0. CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS: No. 5 Keeley McGeehan/Bel Miller, Century, d. No. 4 Aubrey Knowles/Amelia Poulsen, Sandpoint, 6-1, 6-3. 

4A

Lane, Mayorga pull off upset win

MERIDIAN & NAMPA — Juniors Aurora Lane and Priscilla Mayorga pulled off a win in the second round of the consolation bracket to highlight Clark Fork High's outing at the 4A State Championship, held Friday and Saturday at both Ridgevue and Owyhee High.

Lane and Mayorga, unranked, defeated sixth-seeded Josie Graves and Ryley Romney of Clearwater Valley via a third-set tiebreaker to score two team points for the Wampus Cats.

BOYS TEAM SCORES — 1, Weiser 56. 2, Parma 35.5. 3, Fruitland 33. 4, Coeur d'Alene Charter 13. 5, Sugar-Salem 10.5. 6, Gooding 9. 7, Sun Valley Community School 8. 8, Ririe 6. 9, Orofino 4. 10, Grangeville 1. 11, Culdesac 0.5.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES — 1, Fruitland 59. 2, Parma 55.5. 3, Sun Valley Community School 28. 4, Weiser 12. 5, Sugar-Salem 9.5. 6, Coeur d'Alene Charter 5. 7, Clearwater Valley 4. 8, Gooding 3. 9, Clark Fork 2. 10, Culdesac 0.5.

Clark Fork Results

GIRLS DOUBLES — FIRST ROUND: No. 5 Tara Johnson/Natalia Jemmett, Parma, d. Aurora Lane/Priscilla Mayorga, Clark Fork, 6-2, 6-0. CONSOLATION SECOND ROUND: Aurora Lane/Priscilla Mayorga, Clark Fork, d. No. 6
Josie Graves/Ryley Romney, Clearwater Valley, 2-6, 6-1, 10-7. CONSOLATION THIRD ROUND: Myra Gentry/Claire Brassfield, Parma, d. Aurora Lane/Priscilla Mayorga, Clark Fork, 6-4, 6-4. 

MIXED DOUBLES — FIRST ROUND: No. 6 Aadyn Harris/Treyson Roche, Parma, d. Kathi Rupp/Charlie Beaman, 6-0, 6-1. CONSOLTATION SECOND ROUND: No. 5 McKay Flaig/Isabelle Tuttle, Sugar-Salem, d. Kathi Rupp, Charlie Beaman, 6-0, 6-0.