Back in mid-April during a postmatch interview, Philomath High senior Lucy King said in a response to a question about personal goals that she “would love to be first singles.”
King was off to a 4-0 start to the season at that point in time with a lot of tennis to be played. She had a late start in the sport this spring, missing preseason workouts and the first couple of matches. But her talent on the court prevailed and she eventually secured the No. 1 singles spot.
“It took us time to let her work her way back up,” PHS girls tennis coach Mark Orozco said. “I couldn’t just move her in there without having her beat everybody and play some matches on the way up.”
Now, King is headed to state following a fourth-place finish on Friday at the 4A/3A/2A/1A Special 2 District Tournament in Salem.
“I’m pretty proud of how she handled the opening matches,” Orozco said. “She pretty much dominated those until we get to the Marist girls and that’s all you can expect out of people. Those kids (from Marist) are trained early on and most kids aren’t.”
Marist had the top three individual finishers with junior Whitney Hedden, senior Phoebie Larson and junior Alanna Scala.
After winning earlier in the week at Molalla, King kept the momentum on her end of the court with victories over Cascade senior Olivia Hunsaker, 6-1, 6-4, and Junction City senior Paige Jamison, 6-2, 6-2.
Those wins put her in the semifinals. Marist’s Larson posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over King. In the third-place match, Marist’s Scala downed King by a 6-2, 6-1 margin.
The top four advanced to state, which is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday at the Oregon State University Tennis Complex. As of Monday afternoon, the brackets had not been released.
Lucy King will head to state with a 14-3 record.
“She only has a couple of losses to Marist girls and that’s it,” Orozco said. “So you know she’s pretty strong.”
King lost twice to Larson and once to Scala.
Marist’s Hedden easily won the singles title at districts by sweeping all of her opponents, 6-0, 6-0. One of those victims along the way was Philomath junior and foreign exchange student Cecilia Milesi.
Milesi reached the quarterfinals after defeating North Marion senior Anette Duran, 6-1, 6-2, and Estacada junior Piper Hambelton, 6-3, 6-1. The loss to Marist’s Hedden followed.
Also in singles for Philomath’s girls, junior Lucy Thomas fell in the second round in a three-set thriller, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Sophomore Ella Hammonds bounced back from a first-round loss for back-to-back victories in the consolation bracket before falling to Marist junior Aune Aguero.
Orozco said the team struggled more than anticipated in doubles, which had an unfortunate impact on the team’s points. But nothing was going to stop Marist Catholic from winning the team title with the Spartans racking up 49.5 points. Philomath was second with 23.
“Those two teams should have been in the semis to go to state,” Orozco said about PHS doubles. “They just didn’t get there.”
Still, senior Lucie Oster and junior Clara Neville won the consolation championship match over Junction City juniors Autumn Deeds and Hayden Vetkos, 6-0, 6-1. Oster and Neville lost in the first round before their placement in the consolation bracket. There, Oster and Neville won two matches under pro-style scoring to reach the consolation championship.
Each of the other three doubles teams won at least one match in the tournament. Sophomores Bethany Cannon and Bella Nuñez defeated Zuri and Zinea Anderson of Stayton in the second round before losing to Cascade seniors Rachel Suelzle and Kate Withers. Senior Maggie King and junior Lizzie Workman, and seniors Logan Cook and Lacey Bacho, were both limited to first-round wins in Molalla.
Boys tie for 3rd
Philomath’s boys tied Junction City for third in the team standings with 8.5 points. The Warriors did not qualify any singles or doubles teams for state.
Freshman Cameron Barlow, who has played No. 1 singles for much of the season, won two of three matches. After downing a first-round opponent in Estacada, Barlow had to fight hard to advance past the second round in Salem with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 win over Stayton senior Zachary Flett. Marist senior Alexander Ricketts eliminated Barlow in the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere in singles for the boys, senior Nate Houck lost in three sets in the second round to North Marion sophomore Daniel Miranda, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. Freshman Andrew Sims saw some success in the consolation bracket with pro-style scoring wins over two opponents from Stayton to reach the finale where he lost to Cascade junior Victor Tarrab.
In doubles, senior Lane Schell and freshman Liam Cole won earlier in the week at Estacada but fell in the second round in Salem to Marist juniors Dhruv Vadlani and Noah Elgarico, 6-3, 6-2.
Marist junior Griffen Scoble won the individual district title with a win over Cascade senior Andrew Suelzle, 6-0, 6-1.
Special District 2 Tournament
BOYS
Monday, May 11, at Estacada HS
Thursday-Friday, May 14-15, at Salem Tennis and Swim Club
Team scoring — 1, Marist Catholic 22.5; 2, Cascade 21; 3, Junction City 8.5; 3, Philomath 8.5; 5, North Marion 8; 6, Stayton 6; 7, Molalla 0.5; 8. Estacada 0.
PHS Results
Singles
Cameron Barlow (2-1) — Def. Liam Morgan, Estacada, 6-1, 6-1; def. Zachary Flett, Stayton, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4; lost to Alexander Ricketts, Marist Catholic, scores NA.
Nate Houck (1-1) — Def. Yandell Shepard, Estacada, 6-3, 6-1; lost to Daniel Miranda, North Marion, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Andrew Sims (2-2) — Lost to Colby Jones, North Marion, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; def. Titan Smith-Salazar, Stayton, 8-2; def. Christian Camacho, Stayton, 9-7; lost to Victor Tarrab, Cascade, scores NA.
Lev Grose (0-2) — Lost to Gio Rodriguez, North Marion, 6-1, 6-3; lost to Victor Tarab, Cascade, 8-1.
Doubles
Lane Schell/Liam Cole (1-1) — Def. Damien Escobedal-Bernal/London O’Conner, Junction City, 6-2, 6-1; lost to Dhruv Vadlani/Noah Elgarico, Marist Catholic, 6-3, 6-2.
Samuel Holroyd/Elijah Arthurs (0-2) — Lost to Sawyer Rostocil/Giovanni Rodriguez, North Marion, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5; lost to Boe Line/Lincoln Fisher, Molalla, 8-2.
Mika Laukkanen-Raskauskas/Jovi Tavano (0-2) — Lost to Jackson Greufe/Parker Burlingame, Cascade, 6-4, 6-0; lost to David Rodriguez/Bryan Reyes, North Marion, 8-6.
GIRLS
Monday, May 11, at Molalla HS
Thursday-Friday, May 14-15, at Salem Tennis and Swim Club
Team scoring — 1, Marist Catholic 49.5; 2, Philomath 23; 3, Cascade 20; 4, Junction City 16; 5, Stayton 8, 5, Molalla 8, 7, Estacada 6; 8, North Marion 0.
PHS Results
Singles
Lucy King (3-2) — Def. Miranda Ritchie, Stayton, 6-0, 6-2; def. Olivia Hunsaker, Cascade, 6-1, 6-4; def. Paige Jamison, Junction City, 6-2, 6-2; lost to Phoebie Larson, Marist Catholic, 6-2, 6-2; lost to Alanna Scala, Marist Catholic, 6-2, 6-1.
Lucy Thomas (1-1) — Def. Ruby Anderson, Estacada, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3; lost to Elise Comstock, Stayton, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Cecilia Milesi (2-1) — Def. Anette Duran, North Marion, 6-1, 6-2; def. Piper Hambelton, Estacada, 6-3, 6-1; lost to Whitney Hedden, Marist Catholic, 6-0, 6-0.
Ella Hammonds (1-2) — Lost to Kohyn Daugherty, Cascade, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; def. Miley Chenault, North Marion, 6-1, 6-1; lost to Aune Aguero, Marist Catholic, 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles
Lucie Oster/Clara Neville (3-1) — Lost to Ivy Salazar/Gracie Waine, Junction City, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; def. Alyssa Schotthoefer/Kathryn Samek, Stayton, score NA; def. Zinea Anderson/Zuri Anderson, Stayton, 8-1; def. Hayden Vetkos/Autumn Deeds, Junction City, 6-0, 6-1.
Maggie King/Lizzie Workman (1-1) — Def. Ariel Zurita/Rebeca Gonzalez, North Marion, 6-0, 6-0; lost to Gracie Fisher/Natalie Settje, Molalla, 6-4, 6-3.
Logan Cook/Lacey Bacho (1-1) — Def. Flor Nicolas Vega/Nataly Venegas, Molalla, 6-3, 6-1; lost to Stella Larson/Talia Tyner, Marist Catholic, 6-0, 6-1.
Bethany Cannon/Bella Nuñez (2-1) — Def. Daniela Castillo Geronimo/Julia Szalaj, Junction City, 6-1, 6-0; def. Zuri Anderson/Zinea Anderson, Stayton, 7-6, 6-1; lost to Rachel Suelzle/Kate Withers, Cascade, 7-6, 6-1.
