TENNIS: Holland, Salcido highlight local performances at state tournaments
May 14—Local tennis players faced tough competition over the past two weeks in the OSSAA State Championships, and though the road to success was challenging, one duo stood out by securing a podium spot in their respective category.
Kaden Holland and Kaden Salcido of Claremore demonstrated their skills in Class 5A No. 2 Doubles, finishing fifth in the state tournament held Friday and Saturday at the Oklahoma City Tennis Center.
Holland and Salcido exhibited their determination throughout the tournament, compiling a commendable record of 4-1. They kicked off their campaign with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 victory over Attisha and Poskey of Booker T. Washington before facing a formidable challenge against eventual runners-up Lauw and Strunk of Crossings Christian in the second round.
Although they fell short in that match by scores of 6-1, 6-0, Holland and Salcido bounced back with a dominant three-match winning streak, securing victories over Etham Chesher and Cole Patterson of Riverfield (6-3, 6-2) and Lamont and Stone of Muskogee (6-3, 6-2), before clinching the fifth-place match against the Mayer brothers of Guthrie (6-3, 6-3).
While Holland and Salcido achieved success on the court, the journey was challenging for other Claremore players.
The No. 1 Doubles team of Will Jones and Mackinley Sisovsky faced tough opponents and bowed out of the tournament after losses to Riverfield and Durant in the early rounds.
Similarly, in the girls state tournament a week earlier, both Ella Ramsey and Anastasia Denysenko of Claremore encountered tough competition in the No. 1 Singles and No. 2 Singles categories, respectively, ultimately going 0-2 in their matches.
In Class 4A No. 2 Singles, Aneta Vetcha of Oologah showcased resilience by bouncing back from an initial 6-0, 6-0 loss to Berkley Garber of Christian Heritage with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ruby Walker from Victory Christian. Despite her efforts, though, Vetcha's journey concluded with a 6-2, 6-2 loss in the subsequent match to Connie Dong of Henryetta, marking the end of her season.
