Prep notebook: Vail Christian girls tennis takes second at 3A team state championship
Colorado Academy defeated Vail Christian 4-3 to claim the title
Ryan Sederquist/Vail Daily
Just like in the state semifinals a week prior, the 3A tennis team state title came down to the No. 4 doubles match for Vail Christian. This time, however, the Saints ended up on the losing side.
No. 4 Colorado Academy defeated No. 2 Vail Christian 4-3 on May 14 at Denver Tennis Park to claim its first-ever state team tennis championship. The Saints’ Juliet Studness and Heidi Iverson won the No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches, respectively, but the Mustangs took both No. 1 singles and No. 1 and 2 doubles. Vail Christian’s No. 3 doubles squad of Carys Highum and Olivia Zajac forced a decisive seventh match by defeating Abby Cohen and Elise Yang 7-5, 6-3.
In the No. 4 doubles match, Colorado Academy’s pair of Emily Archie and Bea Wadsworth defeated Vail Christian’s Linnea Iverson and Grace Armstrong 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 to clinch the title.
“They finally started believing in themselves and we progressed the entire season,” head coach Noah Tondre told CHSAA. “I’m super proud and we kept the goal in mind of the endpoint all the way until states and up to when we took down D’Evelyn, the one seed, in the semifinals. It culminated and we peaked at the right time.”
The Mustangs upset three-time defending champions D’Evelyn in the state semifinals while Vail Christian defeated Peak to Peak in a dramatic come-from-behind victory that came down to the No. 4 doubles match. The Saints also qualified their entire lineup to the individual state tennis tournament, claiming three medals.
Support Local Journalism
No. 1 singles (Colorado Academy): Mira Leon def. Jessie Allen (6-1, 6-4)
No. 2 singles (Vail Christian): Juliet Studness def. Avia Lauchli (6-1, 6-1)
No. 3 singles (Vail Christian): Heidi Iverson def. Aliza Kirkpatrick (6-2, 2-6, 6-2)
No. 1 doubles (Colorado Academy): Ava Johnson/Violet Tetzeli def. Summer Sveum/Sofia Elalayi (6-3, 6-3)
No. 2 doubles (Colorado Academy): Storm Bearley/Josie Hicks def. Alexa Blanch/Sabrina Nabonsal (7-6, 2-6, 6-1)
No. 3 doubles (Vail Christian): Carys Highum/Olivia Zajac def. Abby Cohen/Elise Yang (7-5, 6-3)
No. 4 doubles (Colorado Academy): Emily Archie/Bea Wadworth def. Linnea Iverson/Grace Armstrong (2-6, 7-6, 6-4)
CHSAA announced the 2024 all-state tennis teams on Tuesday. Nicole Celechovsky of D’Evelyn was the 3A player of the year and Tondre was named coach of the year.
Six Vail Christian athletes earned all-state recognition: Freshmen Alexa Blanch, Sabrina Nabonsal, Carys Highum and Olivia Zajac as well as seniors Linnea Iverson and Grace Armstrong were named to the 3A second team.
Erie ends Battle Mountain’s season in state semifinal
Liam Connors scored eight goals to power Erie to a 17-2 win over Battle Mountain in the 4A boys lacrosse state semifinal last Saturday. The No. 1-seeded Tigers went on to defeat No. 7 Northfield 14-6 on Monday to claim their first state title.
Battle Mountain ended the season with a 15-3 record.
