Charlotte, Raleigh girls tennis players dominate NCHSAA state championships Saturday
Players from the Charlotte and Raleigh area dominated play Saturday in the state girls’ tennis championships, winning three of the four team titles and six of eight individual championships.
Charlotte Catholic had the biggest day, sweeping the singles, doubles and team titles in 3A.
Team championships were determined on the basis of how singles and doubles entries from schools fared.
Other area team champions were Hough in 4A and Pine Lake Prep in 1A. Hendersonville won the 2A team title.
Pine Lake Prep’s Andersen Schubert successfully defended her 1A singles championship and was named that division’s Most Valuable Player.
In 3A, Charlotte Catholic’s Maggie Gehrig, member of a 2019 title doubles team, won the singles championship this time. Her doubles partner in 2019, Ava Tan, teamed with Kaitlyn Tozzi to win the 2021 doubles crown.
The last girls’ tennis state championships were held in November 2019.
Another repeat champion was Fred T. Foard’s Alexis Wolgemuth in 2A. She won in doubles in 2019 and took the 2A singles crown Saturday.
And a team from Research Triangle High took the 1A doubles crown.
Here are highlights from each event:
Class 4A
Mooresville’s Julie Abrams, a doubles runner-up in 2019, defeated Millbrook’s Jill gruber 6-2, 6-2 for the singles crown at Millbrook Exchange Park in Raleigh.
Cary’s Brianna Viets and Hough’s Orianna Espinoza lost in the semifinals, but Espinoza was named 4A’s Most Valuable Player.
The doubles crown went to the Hoggard team of Elizabeth Vollmin and Macy Morrison. They beat Hough’s Jessica Branon and Meir Volk in a marathon final, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4).
Falling in the semifinals were Myers Park’s Carson Weber and Mia Basinger, and Leesville Road’s Diana Higgins and Rachel Alvis.
Class 3A
Charlotte Catholic Maggie Gehrig swept Madison Hill of Jay M. Robinson 6-2, 6-2 for the singles title at Burlington Tennis Complex.
In doubles, the Cougars’ Tan and Tozzi downed Marvin Ridge’s Avery Sager and Jeslyn Pratiknjo 6-2, 6-2. The East Chapel Hill team of Ingrid Mast and Maddie Moore lost in the semifinals.
Class 2A
Fred T. Foard’s Alexis Wolgemuth won a three-set battle over Jessica Fuchas of Oak Grove, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, for the title. Newton-Conover’s Alexa Allison lost in the semifinals.
Hendersonville’s sisters team of McCullough and Eliza Perry downed Salisbury’s Lillie Rusher and Meredith Burton 6-2, 6-1 in the finals. West Lincoln’s Brogan Heavner and Etta Godfrey fell in the semifinals.
McCullough Perry was named Most Valuable Player. The meet was held at Cary Tennis Park.
Class 1A
Gray Stone Day’s Emma Grace Bost, a semifinalist in 2019, battled Pine Lake Prep’s Andersen Schubert to three sets in the title match, with Schubert winning 6-7 (7-3), 7-5, 6-0.
Franklin Academy’s Helen Brockmann lost in the semifinals at Cary Tennis Park.
The doubles title went to Research Triangle’s Sabrina Grewal and Olivia Hankinson, by a 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 score over East Surry’s Tara Martin and Evelyn Ruedisueli.
Falling in the semifinals were Pine Lake Prep’s team of Sophia Taffet and Syria Mannepalli and the Franklin Academy team of Anisah Sison and Abby Armistead.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
