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Local Roundup

BV sends strong group to UIL state tennis

  • By DAVID CAMPBELL

  • Posted: Monday, May 9, 2011 7:00 a.m.
  • Text size: A A A

Brazos Valley doubles teams are in the mix at the UIL State Tournament.

In fact, they fill up a good portion of the mixed bracket with three Class 2A mixed doubles teams from three different regions.

Lexington's Kaelan Blok and Mackenzie Brown, Centerville's Garrett Ward and Hannah Word, and Franklin's Brent and Erica Wallingford will all play mixed doubles.

The UIL State Tennis Tournament opens Monday with Class 2A players on the courts at Austin's World of Tennis at Lakeway.

Franklin sends its usual strong cast to the state tournament with Kayla and Carrie Casey also in the girls doubles. They will open play against Lillian Guerra and Jennifer Hernandez of Tornillo at 11:45 a.m.

Kayla's impressive resume includes back-to-back state singles championships in 2009 and 2010, but the Franklin junior announced after last year's title that she would play doubles with her younger sister this year. That ended Franklin's six-year string with at least one singles title. Austin Klores won four straight boys titles before Kayla debuted at state.

The Region III-2A championship of Garrett Ward and Hannah Word marked the fourth consecutive year that Centerville has sent a doubles team to state. Ward had teamed with Daniel Kendall to reach the state tournament in boys doubles last year, winning bronze medals with their quarterfinal victory.

Undefeated in 2011, Ward and Word closed out a straight-sets sweep of regional opponents with a 6-4, 6-3 win over White Oak.

Both were state doubles qualifiers last season, when Word teamed with Kelsey Lagrone in girls doubles.

Brown and Blok clinched their Region IV-2A crown with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Kasey Button and Manuel Ramirez in a rematch of the District 27-2A final.

The brother-sister team of Brent and Erica Wallingford won the title in Region II-2A.

Kendra Casey and Jake Russ won state championships in mixed doubles for Franklin for three consecutive years, from 2007-09. It is Lexington's first mixed doubles team at state since Ben Spencer and Ally Abshire won bronze in 2009, the same year that Centerville sent Lagrone and Michael Gwosdz in mixed doubles play.

State tennis

Class 2A

World of Tennis at Lakeway

Monday-Tuesday

Girls Doubles

Quarterfinals -- 11:45 a.m. Monday

Kendra Casey-Carrie Casey, Franklin vs. Lillian Guerra-Jennifer Hernandez, Tornillo

Semifinals -- 3:30 p.m. Monday

Championship -- 10:15 a.m. Tuesday

Mixed Doubles

Quarterfinals -- 1 p.m. Monday

Kaelan Blok-Mackenzie Brown, Lexington vs. Bryce Pfingsten-Emily Talley, Wall

Garrett Ward-Hannah Word, Centerville vs. Cayaana Knipfer-Zach Ripple, Krum

Brent Wallingford-Erica Wallingford, Franklin vs. Chandler Short-Josh Sharff, Edgewood

Semifinals -- 3:30 p.m. Monday

Championship -- 9 a.m. Tuesday

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