Region tennis tourney begins today
May 15—Area athletes will get the chance to punch their tickets to the KHSAA state tournament when the 3rd Region Tennis Tournament kicks off Saturday morning at the Owensboro Tennis Complex.
Competition begins at 9 a.m., with two rounds to be played Saturday. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be contested Monday afternoon, with the championship matches set for Tuesday.
On the girls' side, Owensboro Catholic figures to be a contender, with two doubles teams and two individuals seeded near the top. Sarah Kate Young-Emmy Moore will enter as the No. 1 doubles duo, followed by Olivia Hayden-Aisha Merchant at No. 2. In singles, Ella Cason is the top seed, with Ella Grace Buckman earning a fifth seed.
"We're fortunate that they got seeded, but we still have to go play," OCHS coach Noel Clayton. "Our girls worked hard this year. It's a good team, but that doesn't mean anything when you're playing Saturday. You've got to start from zero."
Muhlenberg County's Sarah-Cate Boggess and Baker Hardison enter as the third seed after a competitive regular season.
"Their only losses have been to the No. 1 seed, and they split with Apollo (the fourth seed)," Lady Mustangs coach Renea Boggess said. "Earning one of the top four seeds in the regional tournament puts a team in a good position. However, they will have to stay focused in order to advance to the state tournament."
The E-Gals' Caitlyn Blandford Lauren Clements, along with third-seeded Mia Lampert, have their sights set on making a postseason run — but they know it won't be an easy task against a talented regional field.
"I believe both Mia and Caitlyn and Lauren will make it to the semifinals," Apollo coach Janie Walther said. "Everyone will most likely be meeting another seeded opponent in the semifinals, and it comes down to who mentally and physically shows up."
In girls' singles, Catholic's Ella Cason will be the top seed, followed by Daviess County's Charly Hayden, Lampert, Hancock County's Anna Durbin and Buckman.
In boys' doubles, Meade County's Clay Dupin-Peyton Johnston claimed the No. 1 seed. DC's Graham Sandefur-Camden Clark are second, followed by Apollo's Luke Austin-Stetson Osborne and Catholic's Cooper Danzer-Matthew Hyland.
Apollo coach Jared Richards has high expectations for Austin-Osborne.
"While they have a tough draw, I have great expectations for them this year and I believe they can be one of the four teams that make it to the state tournament," he said. "I'm proud of the work they've done and the progress and growth they've made, not only as individual players but as a team."
Owensboro's Dylan Mather will be the No. 1 seed in boys' singles, followed by Meade County's Tucker Bradley, DC's George Hulse and a pair of Grayson County standouts in Maxton Cummings and Owen Brown.
"I hope Dylan plays his best and is happy with his performance," OHS coach Jennifer Settle said. "He is an all-around great young man and represents OHS tennis well. Dylan has worked hard for this year, and I am excited to watch him play."
