JOURNAL SPORTS
When the LHSAA State Tennis Championships take place next week at ULM, the Shreveport-Bossier area will be well-represented – as usual.
Players earned spots in the state tournament by advancing to at least the quarterfinals in this week’s regional championships.
The Byrd girls continued their dominance at the Division I regional tournament in Ruston, where the Lady Jackets captured the team title behind the stellar play of the Young triplets.
Senior Isabella Young battled back after losing the first set to defeat West Monroe’s Chloe Batteron 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to capture the singles title while seniors Morgan and Sydney Young won the doubles title with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over younger sister Avery Young and Hannah Howard.
Byrd freshman Knox Stinson won the boys’ singles title with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Airline’s Drew Kolniak.
The Division I state tournament will be held on Monday and Tuesday in Monroe.
In the Division III regional tournament at Pierremont Oaks, the Loyola girls captured the title while the Flyers’ boys’ team tied Calvary for the crown.
Loyola’s Mae Graf and Cassidy Kirk won the girls’ doubles with Sophia Fertitta and Audrey Dufrene making it to the championship match. Mary Marzel Elberson won the girls’ singles title by defeating Taylor Nash.
Calvary’s Cayden Simmons captured the boys’ singles title while Loyola’s Sanders Graf and Ravi Ahuja defeated Bo Bowman and Grego Ghali in the doubles championship.
Also qualifying for the Division III state tournament – which will be held in Monroe next Thursday and Friday – were Loyola’s Keller Brown and Landon Hooper in boys’ singles, Stander Olsan and Collier White in boys’ doubles, and Sadie Green and Addison Knox in girls’ doubles.
From Calvary, qualifiers also include Jett Lary (singles), Mason Batts and Bryce Colvin (doubles), Charlie Gregory and Abram Covington (doubles), and Hayden Donaldson and Hudson Crager (doubles) in the boys’ championship.
Qualifying in the girls’ division are Calvary’s Annie Bickham (singles) and the doubles teams of Brynn Lovitt and Shelby Simmons, Anna Kate Lary and Bailey Barber, and Molly McDowell and Emily Bennett.
“I’m so proud of this team,” said Calvary coach Dana Hicks. “They have worked hard and this is the reward. Thanks to Coach Sam Hussein and Coach Valerie Harrison Woolbert for always pouring your knowledge, love, and encouragement into this team. And thanks to the best superintendent – Chad McDowell – for your support.”
