JOURNAL SPORTS

Thirty-one local boys and girls tennis players qualified for the upcoming LHSAA Division III state tournament out of the Region I championships earlier this week, including two doubles championship teams and boys singles titlelist Alexander Jayroe of Evangel.

The Loyola girls doubles tandem of Kathryn Elberson and Mae Graf were champs with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Oak Grove’s Kenslee Gregory and Clara Kally.

Also headed to state are the Calvary doubles duo of Emily Bennett and Shelby Simmons, and Loyola’s Cassidy Kirk and Sadie Green, who fell in the regional semis, along with two local quarterfinalist tandems: Loyola’s Gabrielle Ghali and Sophia Fertitta, and Calvary’s Lauren Lovitt and Addison Stevenson.

In boys doubles, Calvary’s Hayden Donaldson and Charles Gregory prevailed 6-4, 6-2 in the finals over Sterlington’s Ben Forbes and Olly Powell.

Calvary’s Abram Covington and Hudson Cramer, along with Juan Caballero and Arnau Serra Frances of Evangel, reached the regional semifinals and qualified for the state tournament. Loyola’s John Papa and Logan Wall, and Carter Doyal and Rodney Varnadore, and Calvary’s Abram Covington and Hudson Crager, dropped quarterfinal doubles matches but earned state tourney berths.

Jayroe topped Loyola’s Edmond Brown for the boys singles regional crown. Falling in the semifinals but advancing to the state tourney were two Calvary players, Bryce Colvin and Jett Larry.

In the girls singles final, Calvary’s Annie Bickham fell 6-3, 6-3 to Anna Shaw of Caldwell Parish.

Four other girls qualified for the state tournament singles draw: semifinalists Grace Googe of Calvary and Zaria Curry from Evangel, and quarterfinalists Frances Jordan and Addison Knox of Loyola.