LaLone, Kamiak duo advance to semifinals at state tennis championships

Published 11:21 pm Friday, May 25, 2012

RICHLAND — Stanwood’s Megan LaLone and the Kamiak doubles team of Jenna and Alyssa Gilbert both won two matches to advance to the 4A State Girls Tennis semifinals held at Richland High School and Columbia Basin Racquet Club.

LaLone began her quest to reach a third consecutive final in emphatic fashion, defeating both Lauren Thornquist of Auburn and Richland’s Tasha Talbot 6-0, 6-0. LaLone will face Jelena Vidovic of Union today.

“Megan was real solid with her play,” said Stanwood head coach Trudy Abrams. “She outhit and outpowered her opponents. She should be okay tomorrow, I think she’s more consistent than (her opponent).”

The Gilbert sisters also won twice, both in straight sets, to advance to their first state semifinal against Issaquah’s Sam Garrard and Kelsey Wilson. Their performance led a solid first day for Kamiak and the Knights have a solid chance of repeating as team champion. All three Kamiak participants have ensured themselves of finishing no worse than seventh. Singles player Sally Park and the doubles team of Annie Yang and Zoe Jovanovich each finished 2-1 on the day and advanced to the 4th/7th match.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our doubles teams,” said Kamiak head coach Heidi Bloemker. “Sally did a fantastic job adjusting to the wind and played very well.” Bloemker was not the only coach to comment on the windy conditions. Abrams and other area coaches all noted that the wind was a major factor on the outdoor courts.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Abrams. “I saw one player (who was serving) toss the ball and completely miss hitting it.”

After losing her first match, Marysville Pilchuck’s Sarah Tuemmler was forced to play in those conditions, but won both, including a three-set, tiebreak win over Kailyn Skjonsby of South Kitsap to ensure no worse than eighth.

“Placing at state was beyond her goal,” said Tomahawks coach Nathan McClellan. “It’s just icing on the cake.”

In the 3A girls tourney, Shorecrest’s Meera Limaye also ensured placing, winning a consolation match over Maggie Henderson of Auburn Mountainview, 6-4, 6-2. Limaye will play for fourth against Kennewick’s Stephanie Buckinham.

South Whidbey’s Hayley Newman lost her first round match, but knocked off Nathalie Gruber of Ellensburg to remain alive in the 2A consolation bracket.

On the boys side, things didn’t go as well for 4A district champion Mitch Williamson of Jackson. After placing fifth at last year’s state tournament, Williamson dropped both matches, losing to Brian Pinkard of Puyallup and Ferris’ Tom Geranios.

“Mitch has had four good years of tennis,” said Jackson head coach David Hutt. “I thought he was evenly matched (in both contests). In the second match he ran out of gas and made some uncharacteristic mistakes.”

Stanwood’s Gergo Muller will face Geranios in the 5th-8th match after a 2-1 first day. Muller lost his first round match, but won two straight, including a 6-3, 6-3 win that eliminated Cascade’s Patrick Chung from the tournament.

In 4A boys doubles, Andrew Lee became the first Kamiak tennis player to reach three consecutive state tourneys, but he and his brother, Dominic, dropped both matches. Edmonds-Woodway’s Youngham Kim and Dylan Merrill also were eliminated after suffering two losses, but the pair managed a win over Jordan Strandness and Luke Brittan of Lewis &Clark.

The Shorewood doubles team of Hunter Nelson and Miles Jamieson dropped their first round match, but won two straight. They will face Zack and Ben Elliot of Mercer Island for fifth.

2A/3A/4A State Boys and Girls Tennis Championships

Singles—4A boys first round: Brian Pinkard (Puyallup) def. Mitch Williamson (Jackson) 6-4, 6-3; Kainoa Rosa (Jefferson) def. Gergo Muller (Stanwood) 6-4, 6-2; Mitch Stewart (Federal Way) def. Patrick Chung (Cascade) 6-1, 6-0; Consolation: Tom Geranios (Ferris) def. Williamson 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2; Muller def. Dakota Giddings (South Kitsap) 6-2, 6-4; Chung def. Ryan Anderson (Gig Harbor) 6-2, 6-2; Muller def. Chung 6-2, 6-3; 4A girls first round: Megan LaLone (Stanwood) def. Lauren Thornquist (Auburn) 6-0, 6-0; Sally Park (Kamiak) def. Kalyn Skjonsby (South Kitsap) 7-5, 6-1; Sammi Hampton (Skyview) def. Sarah Tuemmler (Marysville Pilchuck) 6-2, 6-3; Quarterfinals: LaLone def. Tasha Talbot (Richland) 6-0, 6-0; Sabrina Demerath (Inglemoor) def. Park 7-5, 6-1; Consolation: Park def. Chelsea Motzer (Mead) 6-3, 6-0; Tuemmler def. Maddie Turek (Tahoma) 6-3, 6-2; Tuemmler def. Skjonsby 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3); 3A boys first round: Brian Hou (Mercer Island) def. Juan Ramirez (Shorecrest) 6-4, 6-2; Joel Richardson (Lakes) def. Dylan Mozlowski (Glacier Peak) 6-1, 6-2; Consolation: Luke Thompson (Hanford) def. Mozlowski 6-1, 6-2; Ramirez def. Vincent Viloria (Kennedy) 6-4, 6-4; Ramirez def. Mitch Anderson (West Valley) 6-0, 6-2; 3A girls first round: Meera Limaye (Shorecrest) def. Lewis (Camas) 6-3, 6-0; Quarterfinals: Sierra Troxel (Hanford) def. Limaye 6-1, 6-0; Consolation: Limaye def. Maggie Henderson (Auburn Mountainview) 6-4, 6-2; 2A girls first round: Julie Hansen (Black Hills) vs. Hayley Newman (South Whidbey) 6-0, 6-1; Consolation: Newman def. Nathalie Gruber (Ellensburg) 6-1, 6-0; Doubles—4A boys first round: Andrew Bagherpour-Jacob Buckley (Union) def. Younghan Kim-Dylan Merrill (Edmonds-Woodway); James Dugan-Aadil Diwan (Kentridge) def. Andrew Lee-Dominic Lee (Kamiak) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2; Consolation: Kim-Merrill def. Jordan Strandness-Luke Brittan (Lewis &Clark); Alex Noyes-Paul Lennick (Kentwood) def. Kim-Merrill; Schraeder-Vickers (Auburn Riverside) def. A. Lee-D. Lee 6-2, 6-3; 4A girls: Alyssa Gilbert-Jenna Gilbert (Kamiak) def. Beardall-Giesbers (Battle Ground) 6-1, 6-1; Annie Yang-Zoe Jovanovich (Kamiak) def. Hoefel-Bowman 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Quarterfinals: A. Gilbert-J. Gilbert def. Lang-Park (Federal Way) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); Angela Chen-Amie Vo (Newport) def. Yang-Jovanovich 6-3, 6-0; Consolation: Yang-Jovanovich def. Samantha Block-Charlotte Schmitz (Central Valley) 6-0, 6-3; 3A boys first round: Baska-Marcus (Mercer Island) def. Hunter Nelson-Miles Jamieson (Shorewood) 6-1, 6-4; Consolation: Nelson-Jamieson def. Riches-Potapov (Wilson) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Nelson-Jamieson def. Colton Ehro-Anthony Brimble (Eastmont) 6-1, 6-2; 3A girls: Francesca O’Malley-Daniella Brenglemann (Shorewood) def. Hinds-Hinds (Seattle Prep) 7-6 (7-4) 1-6, 6-4; Gillian Braden-Armstrong-Nicole Bouche (Mountlake Terrace) def. Nichola Usher-Alicia Jow (Auburn Mountainview) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2); Quarterfinals: Acacia Dettman-Alex Sharpe (Hanford) def. O’Malley-Brenglemann 7-5, 6-2; Carley Schmidt-Carly Riehl (West Valley) def. Braden-Armstrong-Bouche 6-4, 7-5; O’Malley-Brenglemann def. Henley-Gould (Highline) 6-2, 6-4; Braden-Armstrong-Bouche def. Piboonvarangoon-Lukens (Columbia River) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.