Five tennis girls, KCHS team look to 3-peat, or repeat, as state champions
MURFREESBORO — Five Farragut-area tennis stars are looking for still more state championship glory later this week at Adams Tennis Complex.
Senior Maeve Thornton of Knoxville Catholic is seeking her third straight singles state crown at the Division II-AA level) while helping her Lady Irish attempt a team state title 3-peat.
In doubles state match play, the KCHS duo of junior Eleni Liakonis and sophomore Lillie Murphy also look to repeat as Division II-AA doubles state champs while helping secure another team state crown. The pair opened the doubles state tourney against senior Zoe Pelts and sophomore Olivia Evans of Hutchison at noon EDT, Thursday.
A win by the Lady Irish duo would result in a semifinal match against a pair from either Harpeth Hall or Ensworth beginning at 4:30 p.m., EDT Thursday.
Sophomore Allie Faulkner of Christian Academy of Knoxville sought to help bring her Lady Warriors a Division II-A team state championship Wednesday morning, May 24 (after deadline). Individually, Faulkner also is looking to capture a third straight Division II-A singles state crown.
Riley Cassity, Farragut High School junior and defending Divison I-AA singles state champ, has a rematch with senior Grace Stout of Ravenwood (set for 12:30 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 25). Stout was Cassity’s state championship match opponent last year.
A win versus Stout would place Cassity against the winner of junior Ellyson Kovacs of Tennessee High versus senior Ella de Jesus of Collierville.
That semifinal showdown would begin at 5 p.m., EDT, Thursday.
Cassity helped carry her Lady Admirals team to district and region championships before Farragut lost at Johnson City Science Hill in the sectionals late last week.
Looking to win their first Division I-A doubles title are the Lady Warriors pair of sophomores Aiden Stalcup and Larkin Bristow, whose quarterfinal opponents are eight-grader Sarai Clark and sophomore Alysha Hosum of Webb School (Bell Buckle). This match begins at 12:30 p.m., Thursday.
All girls singles and doubles state championship matches are set to begin at 10 a.m. EDT, Friday, May 26.
Boys tennis at state
The CAK boys were looking to play in the Division I-A team state title match with a semifinal win versus University School of Nashville Tuesday (after deadline).
A victory there would put the Warriors against the winner of Lausanne versus University School of Jackson. That match would begin at 12:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday.
In the singles state tourney for CAK, freshman Caleb Climer faced fellow freshman Jack Veazey of Jackson Christian in a quarterfinal match beginning at 10 a.m., Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have a pair of boys doubles state tournament teams.
The top-seeded East duo of junior Hayden Brady and sophomore Quinn Campbell face a pair from Franklin Grace Academy, while the CAK No. 3-seeded East pair of senior Jayden Torry and sophomore Sam Duzan go against a duo from USJ. Both matches begin at 10 a.m. EDT, Thursday.
The lone Division I-AA boys local representative is Hardin Valley Academy sophomore Ryan Leckrone, District 4-AA and Region 2-AA champ, against Science Hill junior Daniel Haddadin, which begins at 1 p.m., EDT, Thursday.
All boys state championship singles and doubles matches begin at noon, Friday.
