PREP TENNIS: Edmonds-Woodway pair capture doubles title
Published 10:33 pm Saturday, May 24, 2008
VANCOUVER — In last year’s 4A state semifinal match, Willie Guo and Scott Sheldon of Edmonds-Woodway were only a point away from a title berth but dropped the match point and eventually lost the match. The loss didn’t sit well with Guo.
“The moment the tournament ended he started working for this year,” Edmonds-Woodway tennis coach Dan Crist said.
Before last year’s meet was over Guo was talking with Ryan Cho about 2008 and Saturday afternoon in Vancouver the year of planning and hard work payed off for the pair of Warriors as they defeated Zach Hamilton and Joey Hoolihan of Bellarmine Prep 6-4, 6-1 to become state champions.
Guo and Cho started the day by defeating Miles Nevin and Stephan Lagielski 6-0, 6-4 in the semifinal match with strong service and excellent net play.
“They came out so strong that I don’t think Prairie knew what hit them,” Crist said.
In the championship game both teams exchanged games before the Warriors broke a 3-3 tie and went on to win the set 6-4. Guo and Cho lost the first game in the second set then won six straight for the championship.
Crist credited the pair’s net play and concentration, noting that the two never dropped a set in the state tournament.
“Anything that went up in the air was going back a winner. Team’s weren’t able to lob them,” Crist said.
4A girls: At Vancouver, Elaine Baik of Kamiak finished sixth in singles, losing 6-3, 6-1 to Katie Griffith of Ferris in the fourth-place match. Earlier Saturday, Baik earned her spot in the placement match with a 6-1 6-3 consolation win over Abby Olbrich of Skyview. Kira Kearsley of Edmonds-Woodway was eliminated in the consolation final by Griffith.
3A girls: At Kennewick, Arlington’s Ivana Krommelova fell 6-1, 6-3 to Kamiakin’s Brittney Reed in the singles championship. Krommelova reached the final with a 6-1, 6-1 semifinal win over Natalie Allen of Holy Names Academy.
