Mother Nautre allowed the girls tennis sectional to be played outdoors on Wednesday at Crawfordsville. The semi-finals took place with Western Boone taking on Southmont and the host Athenians taking on Lebanon who defeated North Montgomery in the opening match on Tuesday. CHS was able to defeat Lebanon 3-2 to advance to Thursday’s championship game while Southmont and WeBo would come down to the wire. With the match even at 2-2 it came down to a third set at two singles between South’s Marley Jones and the Stars Abigail Brunty. Brunty secured the 6-4 third set win and sent the Stars to the championship match as WeBo downed the Mounties 3-2.
Athenians go for 4th straight sectional
Crawfordsville will now play for its fourth straight sectional title after defeating the Tigers 3-2. It was the same result as when the two teams met up in the regular season. CHS got their three wins at two singles with Reagan Cox defeating Bianca Coronado 6-0, 6-1. Emily Weliever was next off for the Athenians with her 6-0, 6-1 win at three singles over Lucie Cassis. CHS got the match clinching point from their two doubles team of Amy Weliever and Emma Buser as they took care of the Tigers Kinley Young and Anna Howard 6-3, 6-3.
Lebanon’s Ava Lemkuhler was a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Sam Rohr and the Tigers one doubles team of Breanna Page and Kathryn Williams were 6-2, 6-2 winners over Alayna Hall and Isla Steward.
“We’re looking forward to defending our sectional title,” Crawfordsville coach Kara Amundson said. “Especially after losing conference, these girls are hungry. They want to redeem themselves a little bit and there’s no better way to do that then to bring home another sectional title. Lebanon came out strong and we knew they would. I was proud of how everyone played and our girls knew that they would have to step up once again and answer the call.”
Crawfordsville during the regular season was able to defeat Western Boone 4-1. Still Amundson knows that her team can’t use that past win and just think it’ll be the same result. CHS will go out and have to earn its fourth straight title.
“We just have to come ready to play and not take anything for granted,”she said. “If we play our style of tennis I’m confident in our girls to get the job done.”
Mounties lose heart-breaker to Stars
For the Mounties it was a tough way to see a good season come to a close. Not only did they lose the 3-2 heart-breaker to the Stars, but it also saw the end of the careers of Kela Johnson, Courtlyn Carpenter, and Jones. Johnson and Hanna Long got the two wins for Southmont as Long got her win at one singles with a tough 7-5, 6-4 win over Adelaide Jones. Johnson at three singles was a 7-5, 6-0 winner over Lindsey Steimel.
Haylee Hall and Jozee Jones fell to WeBo’s Janie Ransom and Isabel Adams 6-1, 6-0 at one doubles and Evelyn Zachary and Courtlyn Carpenter fell to Olivia Smith and Ella Shepherd 6-4, 6-3.
After falling behind 2-1, Long’s win at one singles tied the match and Jones at two singles won the her first set 6-4, before Brunty won the next two sets 6-4, 6-4.
“You have to give WeBo a lot of credit for coming out strong with their doubles teams,” Southmont coach Rob Reimondo said. “Just like when we played them during the regular season we needed to come through at all of our singles spots. Kela and Hanna played great tennis tonight and got us tied at 2-2. Marley has nothing to be ashamed of because she played a great match. As a team we didn’t meet our goal this year but we still had a strong showing and I’m proud of that.”
Long with her win does get to continue her Mountie career as she advances to the individual tournament which will take place next week at Lebanon. Reimondo made sure that Long got the credit that she’s earned for being steady presence atop the Mountie lineup for most of her career. He also pinned a goodbye to his other seniors who have guided the Mounties this season.
“Hanna has been an unheralded steady player for us these last four years,” he said. “I’m proud of her to get through to the next stage. Marley, Kela, and Courtlyn along with Hanna whenever she plays her final match, all of these girls will be missed. They’ve made us a much better program these last four years.”
Western Boone and CHS will meet back at Crawfordsville for the sectional title on Thursday with a start time of 4:45.
