Amarillo High’s Eleanor Archer took gold at the UIL Class 5A State Tennis Tournament in San Antonio. [Provided photo]
Record Day for Amarillo High
With a record five players in the finals on the final day of the UIL Class 5A State Tennis Tournament in San Antonio, the Amarillo High Sandies captured two gold medals and a silver to cap the most historic run for an AISD tennis program.
In girls singles, Eleanor Archer followed up her gold from last year in mixed doubles with gold of her own by getting a measure of revenge on Axelle Jacquemin of Wichita Falls Rider. Archer, the talented junior, avenged her Region 1-5A loss two weeks ago to Jacquemin in split sets with a three-set victory 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to capture gold. Archer’s win comes with huge historic significance as she becomes the first player in AISD history to win gold in girls singles, as well as the first female player in UIL history to capture back-to-back golds.
Amarillo High’s doubles duo of Taylor Vigil and Wade Bryant celebrate their doubles trophy after their win at the UIL State Class 5A State Tennis Tournament. [Provided photo]
In boys doubles, Taylor Vigil made his second straight trip to the tournament one to remember by claiming first with his partner Wade Bryant. The Sandie duo outlasted the Highland Park pair of Ray Saalfield and Carl Newell 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, to capture the gold medal. Vigil and Bryant cruised to the finals with convincing wins over San Antonio Alamo Heights and Frisco Centennial before besting the Scots pair in a thrilling three set victory.
For Allex Gonzales and Morgan Rose the day wasn’t quite as rewarding as they fell to the Highland Park team of Isabella McElfresh and Eden Rogozinski in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. After dominant wins of Pflugerville Hendrickson and Liberty Hill the Sandie team was unable to get past the talented Scots doubles duo.
Hereford’s Nicolas Villalovos and K’Linda Mason captured the UIL Class 4A mixed doubles title Wednesday morning at the UIL State Tennis Tournament in San Antonio. [Photo by Meaghan Collier/ For Press Pass Sports]
Hereford captures back to back titles
Hereford Head Coach Cody Crouch took a big risk right before district when he put Nicolas Villalovos and K’Linda Mason together in mixed doubles. The talented duo made Crouch look good on Wednesday morning by capturing the UIL Class 4A state title 6-3, 6-4, over Grace Malone and Jacob Daniell from Wills Point. For Villalovos, this makes back-to-back state championhips after winning last year with Victoria Betzen. The Hereford pair had to grind out an intense 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, victory in the semifinals against a pair from Wimberley and used that momentum to take down Wills Point in the finals. Mason, with the booming forehand, and the uber talented Villalovos kept the Wills Point duo off balance for most of the match to capture the title.
In other 4A action a couple of doubles pairs grabbed bronze medals. The boys doubles team of Frances Kaing and Eh Ku Soe of Dumas and Pampa’s mixed doubles tandem of Lanna McCarley and Mason Bagwell each won quarterfinal matches before falling in the semis.
Miami’s Emely Fink captured the UIL Class 1A girls singles title on Wednesday at the UIL State Tennis Tournament in San Antonio. [Craig Sperry/ Press Pass Sports]
Miami’s Fink the talk of the town
Using a powerful forehand and a cannon serve, Miami’s Emely Fink dominated the UIL Class 1A girls singles competition walking away with gold Wednesday morning.
Fink, the foreign exchange student from Germany, took out the two-time defending state champion Jaden Coston from Slidell 6-3, 6-2, in a match that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate. Fink utilized her devastating forehand to put shot after shot away in knocking out Coston. The victory for Fink set school history as she became the first Miami female athlete to capture gold in tennis in UIL history.
The area was well represented on the medal stand in 1A as multiple athletes captured bronze medals:
Happy’s Camden Sperry and Neils Sweegers of Booker in boys singles.
Nazareth’s Luke Schulte and Trent Gerber; Booker’s Hugo Avila and Fabian Camacho in boys doubles.
Ali Friemel of Groom in girls singles.
Carson Heiman and Harley Gerber in mixed doubles.