Sequim girls tennis team wins state title

YAKIMA – Sequim High School’s girls tennis team has won the 2007 Class 2A State championship.

Sequim sent a pack of Wolves to the state tournament at the Yakima Tennis Club on Friday and Saturday, and all of them finished fourth or higher in their events.

The doubles team of junior Laine Briggs and senior Anna Slater took fourth place.

Seniors Stacia Bibler and Stacy Stratton finished one spot higher than Briggs and Slater in the doubles tournament, taking third, whil senior Justine Textor placed third in the singles competition.

The team title has earned the girls a sublime distinction in their school’s annals of athletic achievement.

Their first-place trophy is Sequim’s first State championship in a team sport in school history.

“Our girls are extremely happy,” coach Mark Textor said. “It was a perfect weekend. The weather was beautiful. The crowds were huge, and the kids were just phenomenal.”

Briggs and Slater won their first match before losing to eventual state champions Molly Beaumont and Mandy Hatch of Bellingham 7-5, 6-2.

The girls then had to win their way through the consolation bracket, winning three loser-out matches on their way to taking the fourth-place trophy.

“They were amazing, they were tough as nails,” Textor said. “They won more than any of our teams. They played all day, every day.

“They just lined them up and knocked them down.”

Bibler and Stratton won their first two matches, then fell in the semi-finals to state runners-up Brandi Benner and Jill Toronchuk of Lynden 6-1, 4-6, 4-6.

“They were up against a very good team from Lynden,” Textor said. “When you look at it, they actually won more games because the first set was 6-1 and the last two were 6-4 [in favor of Lynden].”

Bibler and Stratton then blew out Karissa Bodnar and Bonnie Creel 6-1, 6-0 for the third-place hardware.

Justine Textor, like Bibler and Stratton, won her first two matches before falling in the semi-finals.

And like Briggs and Slater, Textor lost to the eventual champion, Lindsey Newman of South Whidbey 6-3, 6-1.

Textor then dispatched Elise Rooney of Clarkston 6-3, 6-1 in the third-place match.

“Justine played the best tennis of her life,” Textor said. “She played consistent, strong, tenacious tennis throughout and she never gave up.”

According to Textor, the fact that the third-place matches in both singles and doubles were so lopsided showed that the Wolves are “very clearly in the top three in both singles and doubles.”

The area’s other girls tennis state title contender, Tinka Hanan of Port Angeles, lost both of her singles matches at the 2007 Class 3A State Girls Tennis Championships at Kamiakin and Kennewick on Friday.

Hanan went up against freshman Alexis Filliol of West Valley (Yakima) in the first round, losing 6-0, 6-0 to the eventual State champion.

Hanan then went up against another talented freshman, falling 6-4, 6-1 to Anissa Bryant-Smith of Sammamish. Bryant-Smith went on to take sixth place.

Sequim also sent the boys doubles team of Cody Hansen and Michael Richards to the state tournament.

Hansen and Richards did not drop a set until they reached the finals.

In the State championship match, Hanson and Richards lost 6-3, 6-3 to Ed Rooney and Kyle Servatius of Clarkston.

The Sequim Wolves won a girls state team title, finished fourth and third in girls doubles, third in girls singles and second in boys doubles, all in a single weekend.

They have served notice that they have one of the premier tennis programs in the state.

More in Sports

The top three finishers in the women's masters short course race of the Gravel Unravel this weekend celebrate in Quilcene receiving their medals. From left are Jennifer Ritter of Boise, Idaho, third, Emiko Atherton of Seattle, first, and Shaun Baesman of Bainbridge, second. (David Goetze)
GRAVEL UNRAVEL: Big hills, thick clouds and close finishes

It wasn’t as muddy as some past years, but the… Continue reading

The Port Angeles Illusion fastpitch softball team won the 14U C state championship Sunday by beating the Bonney Lake Firecrackers 13-3 in the title game. From left, top row, are Jenessa Balch, assistant coach Leeah Faris, coach Warren Stevens, Teyah Elofson, Riley Nichols, Brooklyn Rondeau, Misty McNeely, McKenna Cox, Sophia Calderon, Britney Rowland and Greg Faris. From left bottom row, are Ayla Balch, Kylin Weitz, Alexia Fuller, Mattie Messenger, Tyann Connary, Kailyn Crowder and Pearl Salazar.
STANDALONE PHOTO: Illusion 14U are state champs

The Port Angeles Illusion fastpitch softball team won the 14U C state… Continue reading

Wilder Baseball Club.
AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL: Wilder Jr. shuts out Wollochet behind DeLeon

Wilder Junior completed a sweep over Wollochet with four-hit… Continue reading

Port Angeles Lefties.
WEST COAST LEAGUE: Lefties swept by first-place Apple Sox

Despite a grand slam home run from Jeremy Giesegh, the… Continue reading

Strait Slice Pizza won the Peninsula Soccer League championship this weekend. From left, kneeling (not including children), are Kaye Thomas, Kelsey Kuhn, Beckie Lee, Mel Messineo, Taryn Asmus, Victoria Jones and Jack Waknitz. From left, standing, are Sam Havens, Ian Miller, Christine Loewe, Alli Roth, Aaron Lee, Kyle Henderson, Jimmy Quigley, Luke Strong-Cvetich, Zach Gray, Isaiah Jindrich and Minh Pham-Bui.
PENINSULA SOCCER LEAGUE: Strait Slice league champions

Strait Slice Pizza won the Peninsula Soccer League championship this weekend. From… Continue reading

Wilder Senior’s Bryant Laboy hits a chopper against Whatcom Post No. 7 while Landen Olson waits in the on-deck circle. Wilder Senior was able to win the pitchers’ duel with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh by Braydan White. (Pierre LaBossiere/Peninsula Daily News)
AMERICAN LEGION: Wilder Senior wins four straight

Senior’s Ethan Staples fires no-hitter

Port Angeles Lefties.
WEST COAST LEAGUE: Lefties drop pair of games to Wenatchee

The Port Angeles Lefties couldn’t have had two more different… Continue reading

KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Lefties first baseman Will White tries to catch Seattle Gumberoos baserunner Eoin Buechs off the bag during Thursday's game at Port Angeles Civic Field.
PORT ANGELES LEFTIES: Lefties sweep the Gumberoos after 9-1 victory

The Port Angeles Lefties completed a three-game sweep over… Continue reading

Crab season begins in marine areas surrounding the North Olympic Peninsula on July 3. (Annie Johnson/WDFW)
OUTDOORS: Recreational crabbing season to open July 3

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Puget Sound… Continue reading

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife completed the purchase late last month of the Sekiu boat ramp. (WDFW)
OUTDOORS: WDFW completes purchase of Sekiu boat launch

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has finalized its… Continue reading

Westport won its second straight Olympic Junior Babe Ruth championship, beating Local 155 6-3 on Wednesday. Front row, on knee, is Kade Johnstad. Middle row, from left, is bat boy Hans, Tristan Konopaski, Kayden Morrison, Zach Clay, Abe Brenkman, Easton Prchal, Parker Pavlak, Lane Wilson, Noah Johnstad, Jay Lieberman, Easton Prchal, Aidan Smith, Dakota Morrison and assistant coach Jared Johnstad. Back row, from left, is assistant coach Nick Cannady, head coach Carey Pavlak and assistant coach Matt Prchal.
OLYMPIC JUNIOR BABE RUTH: Westport wins back-to-back titles

Westport won back-to-back Olympic Junior Babe Ruth championships, beating… Continue reading

Port Angeles Lefties.
PORT ANGELES LEFTIES: Lefties win second straight over Seattle

The Port Angeles Lefties beat the Seattle Gumberoos 7-2… Continue reading