Manti’s Sadie Cox competes in the 3A first singles match of the girls tennis state championship at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Rowland Hall, Manti, Richfield won their respective region titles and are among the top contenders
SALT LAKE CITY — If this week’s 3A state tournament is anything closely resembling last week’s Region 13 championships — the region where the top teams traditionally hail from — it should be a great weekend of matches at all five positions.
Morgan heads into the state tournament as the defending state champ, but the key pieces to that title run graduated.
At the Region 13 meet last week, Rowland Hall edged Morgan by one point, followed closely by Waterford and Grantsville. All three of those teams have the talent and depth to win the state title this week, while Region 12 champion Manti and Region 14 champion Richfield hope to be in the mix as well.
“It’s definitely going to be an uphill battle, and it could definitely go to quite a few teams,” said Morgan coach Katherine Hadley.
She hasn’t talked with her team about repeating as state champs this year, but rather with just one senior the focus has simply been one match at a time.
Morgan qualified teams for state at all five positions, but its third singles and two doubles teams had the best finishes at region and might give the team the best chance at state.
“We have two really strong doubles teams and both teams are super competitive girls and they always have their games faces on and are ready to go,” said Hadley.
A year ago Morgan took state with a six-point cushion over Judge Memorial and Waterford, with Juab, Manti and American Fork tied for third.
Rowland Hall finished a distant ninth with most of its points coming from second doubles, but the arrival of freshman Lucy Wallin has changed the entire complexion of the team.
“We have a deep team, and because of Lucy coming in it allowed everyone to move down into a comfortable place in the lineup,” said Rowland Hall coach Susan Daynes.
Rowland Hall’s Tennyson Seethaler competed at first singles as a sophomore last year and lost in the first round, but with Wallin’s arrival she’s been able to drop into second singles with much success.
The same goes for Alivie Boe, a freshman who lost in the first round of second singles. Now she’s competing at first doubles in a more realistic spot to be successful.
In Region 14, Manti finished with three region champs (first singles and both doubles), while Maeser Prep’s teams were champs at second and third singles.
Manti’s Sadie Cox was the first singles runner-up as a junior last year to American Heritage senior Naomi Noot, and she’ll again be a contender this year.
The first singles bracket appears to be more loaded than it was a year ago. In addition to Cox’s return and Wallin’s emergence, Waterford’s Sophie Christensen won the Region 13 championship and is arguably the favorite.
She was a first singles runner-up as a freshman back in 2017, but she hasn’t competed in the 3A state tournament each of the past two years.
Like with Rowland Hall, her arrival has allowed her teammates to drop into their more natural positions and Waterford figures to be right in the thick of the state title race as a result.
Here’s a look at the state tournament qualifiers for each region:
Region 12
First singles
1. Sarah Utley, Richfield
2. Lindsey Snow, Carbon
3. Maara Holyoak, Grand
4. Janessa Gayler, South Sevier
5. Soraya Leatherwood, Gunnison Valley
Second singles
1. Piper Harris, Richfield
2. Kyla Jackman, Grand
3. Lizzy Blackburn, Carbon
4. Gabby Carter, South Sevier
5. Makaeli Begaye, San Juan
Third singles
1. Aubrei Jorgensen, Richfield
2. Stella McGowan, Grand
3. Hannah Gay, South Sevier
4. Nicole Swasey, Carbon
5. Coralie Frickle, Wasatch Academy
First doubles
1. Marissa/McIff/Karsyn Harris, Richfield
2. Haley Guymon/Shaylee Grange, Emery
3. Morgan Blackburn/Aubree Robinson, South Sevier
4. Alex Cartwright/Kaydance Scoville, Carbon
5. Lillian Scott/Jenny Kopell, Grand
Second doubles
1. Presley Chappell/Neleh Troseth, South Sevier
2. Charlotte Poulsen/Kara Friant, Richfield
3. Ana Maria Olivas/Alyssa Ellis, Carbon
4. Megan Hess/Aspen Taylor, Emery
5. Irie Shumway/Adia Eberling, San Juan
6. Mekker Relph/Molly Knowles, Grand
Region 13
First singles
1. Sophie Christensen, Waterford
2. Lucy Wallin, Rowland Hall
3. Sophie Crosby, Grantsville
4. Katelyn Steel, Morgan
5. Isabella Valles, Judge Memorial
6. Hailee Sumpter, Providence Hall
Second singles
1. Noelle Kieffer, Waterford
2. Tennyson Seethaler, Rowland Hall
3. Savannah Dutson, Morgan
4. Audrey Curtis, Grantsville
5. Ava Isaac, Judge Memorial
Third singles
1. Rachelle Prasthofer, Rowland Hall
2. Hallie Martinson, Morgan
3. Bailey Norris, Waterford
4. Lacey Linares, Grantsville
5. Elise Runnels, Judge Memorial
First doubles
1. Hallie Johnson/Addie Butler, Grantsville
2. Lucy Tripp/Reagan Toone, Morgan
3. Siya Pandit/Delaney/Huefner, Waterford
4. Madeline Keil/Alivia Boe, Rowland Hall
5. Emery Lloyd/Mei Nagata-Brown, Judge Memorial
6. Maya Thornell/Kennedy Butterfield, Providence Hall
Second doubles
1. Ryann Jensen/Sydney Jensen, Morgan
2. Madeline Frazier/Kate Altman, Rowland Hall
3. Madison Bolinder/Riley Dalton, Grantsville
4. Megan Wade/Chrissy Vranes, Waterford
5. Justine Nicholson/Audfrey Selfridge, Judge Memorial
Region 14
First singles
1. Sadie Cox, Manti
2. Summer Price, Union
3. Mona Ueno, Maeser Prep
4. Emmalee Willmore, Juab
5. Annalee Buck, American Heritage
Second singles
1. Kelsey Ortega, Maeser Prep
2. JoLee Gillett, Manti
3. Mady Costello, Union
4. Morgan Drew, North Sanpete
5. Isabelle Fee, American Heritage
Third singles
1. Mia Parkinson, Maeser Prep
2. Emma Jorgensen, Manti
3. Eliza Beales, Union
4. Hannah Echols, Juab
5. Kaylee Anderson, North Sanpete
6. Mikaila Hansen, Delta
First doubles
1. Libby Simons/Heidi Jorgensen, Manti
2. Kate Anderson/Izzy Hilner, Delta
3. Sydney Sevy/Madilee Gulbrandsen, Maeser Prep
4. Aaralyn Draper/Olivea Howes, Union
5. Jamie Walker/Sadie Church, North Sanpete
Second doubles
1. Talia Cluff/Emma Christensen, Manti
2. Natalya Benson/Abri Benson, North Sanpete
3. Megan Grant/Clare Perkins, Maeser Prep
4. Julie Moyano/Sara Tolbert, Delta
5. Claire Staker/Krista Hanke, Union
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