Snohomish’s Mak Dauer wins district singles title

Published 2:32 pm Wednesday, May 13, 2026

MOUNT VERNON — Snohomish sophomore Lily Masche and junior Molly Hammer refused to let go.

It was the doubles team’s first run at the District 1 3A Girls Tennis Tournament, and they had capitalized by making it to Wednesday’s title match against Stanwood seniors Addison Bowie and Mylee LaComb. The Panthers tandem had lost the first set 2-6, but refused to quit in a back-and-forth second set that went to a tiebreaker.

Snohomish got ahead 9-8 in the tiebreaker, threatening to force a decisive third set with just one more point.

Despite clinching their spot at state by virtue of making it to this point, the stakes were high for Bowie and LaComb to win districts in their last chance as a duo. But through every tense moment, both players wore smiles nonstop.

“We came into it just wanting to have fun,” Bowie said. “We just had the mindset that either way, we’re going (to state) no matter what.”

“We play our best when we’re having fun,” LaComb added. “We struggle sometimes with disconnecting and playing our own game… We stayed together the whole time.”

Indeed, the Stanwood pair rallied to win the tiebreak 11-9, watching the final return narrowly go out of play at the back line.

Bowie and LaComb had won three matches to make it to their first district final, while Masche and Hammer won two with a first-round bye factored in. With the win, Bowie and LaComb are guaranteed a double-elimination spot at state after being eliminated in the first round last year.

The duo has been playing together since their freshman year, so winning a district title to cap off their high school careers just added to the smiles.

“These moments right now are what I’m gonna remember forever,” LaComb said.

It was the third time Bowie and LaComb met Hammer and Masche in a competition this season, as the Snohomish duo took down the top-seeded Stanwood tandem 1-6, 7-6, 6-3 earlier this month in the Wesco 3A/2A North Tournament.

Hammer and Masche went on to win the league title and now take second in a close district tournament against their rivals.

As for Bowie and LaComb, they look to build off their first state experience last year.

“We’re going to stay strong,” Bowie said of the duo’s mindset for state. “We’re not going to be nervous.”

Dauer wins singles in dominant run

Mak Dauer is no stranger to the big stage.

The Snohomish senior became the first boys or girls tennis player in school history to qualify for state in all four of her seasons, and she did so with three 6-0, 6-0 wins at the league tournament and two to reach the District 1 title game.

It was there that she took down Edmonds-Woodway sophomore Maddy Ashe, 6-1, 6-0, to win the tournament.

“I’ve worked really hard throughout my four years, and it’s really paying off,” Dauer said.

Dauer didn’t place as a freshman while getting used to the big stage of state, but finished eighth in doubles with partner Hannah Wells as a sophomore. Though Dauer didn’t place last season, she’s had a state tournament placing on her mind all season.

It’s all part of the steely focus the senior has leveraged to roll through the postseason thus far.

“This year I’m hoping to place at least eighth. I think I can, I’ve worked really hard this season to improve,” Dauer said. “I think it’ll go well.”

As Dauer prepares for what she hopes is a multi-day run at the state tournament in Vancouver, she took time to appreciate the tight-knit atmosphere at districts.

Regular Wesco competitors and their families gathered at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon for the tournament, as rain threw a wrench in the plans to compete at Glacier Peak High School.

Organizers met overnight and decided to split the 3A and 4A tournaments between Mount Vernon and Bellevue to allow the competitions to play out smoothly.

“It’s actually really fun,” Dauer said of the district atmosphere. “I do like seeing my opponents, and it is still stressful… I’m a good player, but everyone shows up for districts. And so it’s stressful, fun, but it’s good competition.”

Note: The 4A District 1 Tournament was moved to an alternate location, and The Herald was not notified of the change. Results of that tournament will be published when received.