Hondo Anvil Herald

Lowe, Arnett finish as state quarterfinalists

 

By Jeff Berger

Anvil Herald Publisher

 

     San Antonio -- Girls’ singles competitors from Hondo and D’Hanis both won their opening matches at the UIL State Tennis Tournament last Thursday, May 15, but both were knocked out in the quaterfinals.

     For both, sophomore Ava Lowe of Hondo and senior Abby Arnett of D’Hanis, their two matches on Thursday each went to three sets in the scorching 100°+ heat.

     With this year’s tourney expanded to 12 entries in each division, Lowe, the Region IV-3A runner-up, opened play at Annemarie Tennis Center with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 round-of-16 win over Brenna Pool of Peaster – a match that took two hours and 45 minutes.

With a little over an hour to rest, Lowe came back to face Region II champ, senior Madilynn Hamilton of McGregor, who had earned a first-round bye. Hamilton had defeated Lowe in a lengthy state quarterfinal match a year ago, 6-1, 6-3. This time, Lowe came out with the win in the opening set, but fell in the end, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. That match also exceeded two hours, finishing in 2:10.

Last year’s state runner-up, Region IV champ Kailey Albrecht of London, was the silver medalist again, falling to Amelia Taylor of Wall, who dominated the field, losing only one game in three sets.

     At Blossom Tennis Center, Arnett won her opening match Thursday morning, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 over Lexi Ramaekers of Nazareth. 

In her midday match, Arnett again went three sets, with the third set going long, before she fell to Alysa Garcia of Marathon, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5.

     In the 3A girls’ doubles field, the Hondo team of juniors Sabrina Rodriguez/Nayeli Rivera came out on the short end of a round-of-16 match against a sibling team from Bowie, Heidi Siebert/Willow Siebert, 6-1, 6-1. The Sieberts won their quarterfinal match to finish as bronze medalists.

     Back at Blossom Center, the D’Hanis boys’ doubles team of Wyatt Rothe/Ruger Cote dropped an opening round match to Knight Durham/Camden Wiebe of Lenoarah Grady, 6-4, 6-3.

     It was a highly successful state tournament overall for all of District 31-A, which had a total of eight entries at state, including a pair of state championships. In mixed doubles, the Utopia duo of Taylor Wiekamp/Hallie Moore was state champion. In girls’ doubles, McKenzie Speer/Madison Speer of Knippa were state champs, defeating Schreiner Meredith/Gabriella Luce of Nueces Canyon in the finals.

     Kinsley Cox of Utopia was state runner-up in girls’ singles, and in boys’ singles, both Lawson Leavelle of Utopia and Cameron Santos of Knippa won their opening matches to reach the quarters.

     From District 28-3A, Lytle’s Nathanial Armendariz, the Region IV champ, lost a lengthy quarterfinal match. The Jourdanton girls’ doubles pair of Addison Gallegos/Rosa Tierrablanca lost in the round-of-16. The region champion mixed doubles team of Abraham Martinez/Vianey Garcia of Crystal City won in the quarterfinals, but lost in the semis to finish as bronze medalists.