With strong performances from all six players Thursday, Hillsboro High School tennis team placed first at Sterling.
Players dealt with strong winds for the first hour of the meet, then things settled down. Matches were a six-game format because Sterling’s lights were out of operation because of construction.
Singles
No. 2 singles player Emma Heyen struggled to defeat Sarah Brummett of Hutchinson Trinity, 7-5, in her first match of the day. She then breezed through the rest of her division on her way to a gold medal. She defeated Rachel Schmidt of Kiowa County, 6-1; Ashley Smith of St. John, 6-0; and Felicitas Becker of Sterling, 6-0.
No. 1 singles player Becky Faber lost to Hutchinson Trinity’s Lizzie Degner, 6-3, but she won the rest of her matches en route to a second-place finish. She defeated Gabi Carvalho of Kiowa County, 6-2; Sara Waters of St. John, 6-0; and Kacee Britton of Sterling, 6-0.
Doubles
Hayley Pankratz and Aubrey Meier placed first in the No. 2 doubles division with a 4-0 record. They needed an 8-6 tiebreak win against Sara Steinman and Kendra Spangenberg of St. John.
“It turned out to be the key victory for us,” coach Bob Woelk said.
They went on to defeat Lindsey Carter and Kristen Nielsen of Sterling, 6-2; Laina McMurry and Lisa Rempel of Kiowa County, 6-1; and Brishna Flores and Allison Roberts of Hutchinson Trinity, 6-3.
Elise Heyen and Courtney Weber finished second in the No. 1 doubles division with a 2-1 record. They defeated Emily Murillo and Jocelyn Lane of Hutchinson Trinity, 6-2; and Betsy Williamson and Racheal Davis of St. John, 6-1. They lost to Anna Brashear and Emily Hanes of Sterling, 6-4. Kiowa County did not have a No. 2 doubles team at the meet.
The Trojans posted a combined record of 13-2 at the meet and scored 34 team points to win the meet. Hutchinson Trinity placed second with 30 points, and Sterling took third with 23 points. St. John and Kiowa County tied for fourth with six points each.
The tennis team returns to action Thursday at Smoky Valley before traveling to Hesston on Saturday.