Friday — May 21, 2004

Prep tennis players gear up for big weekend

State stings attached

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Hopes and dreams and hard work are all on the line for 128 players in the State 3A tennis tournament in Boise, May 21-22. The tournament brackets break down to 16 singles in the boys and girls divisions and 16 teams in each doubles division.

Whitney DeBree competing in the district tournament in Sun Valley last week. Photo by David N. Seelig

12 players represent district champion Wood River. The Community School sends 16 to the two-day tilt.

Homedale claimed the 2003 state title with 62 points. Wood River and The Community School tied for second place with 59 points apiece. Both local teams were boosted by state championships. Cutthroat Joel Evans claimed boys’ singles. Hailey’s Hadley DeBree and Dixon Mooseau won the mixed doubles crown.

In 2004 boys’ singles, district champion Scooter Sabel (CS) is the #1 seed and opens up against Eddy Huffman of Fruitland at 8 a.m. District runner-up and last year’s state runner-up Tyler Martin (CS) plays Parma’s Lincoln Smyser.

Girls’ first round matches start at 9:30 a.m. Cutthroat Amy Alexander (4^th last year) begins her bid for a state title against Grangeville’s Missy Bird who lost in the first round in 2003. Cutthroat Caitlin Cairncross plays Parma’s Samantha Frazier. Wood River’s Ashley Prior goes up against Danielle Hopkins of Weiser and Hadley DeBree meets Mara Johnson of Culdesac. If DeBree wins she could meet defending champion Caity Jones of Homedale in the second round.

If both Alexander and Prior win the two will meet in the second round at 12:30 p.m.

The local schools have four teams in boys’ doubles. District champions Dao Okamoto and Thomas Phelan play a pair from Weiser at 9:30 a.m.

District runner-up Christian Cairncross and Wes Flanigan meet a duo from Grangeville at 11 a.m. Cutthroats Ben Roth and Tyler Chandler play a pair from Parma at 9:30 a.m., and it’s an 8 a.m. match for Hailey’s Frankie Fiaschetti and Hunter Storey.

Ellie France and Abby Fairman drew the #2 seed in girls’ doubles. The pair plays a team from Weiser at 9:30 a.m. Teammates Jackie Safran and Devon Bunce open up against a Parma pair at 8 a.m.

Community School squads Joanie Baumgardner and McKenzie Hart are on the court at 8 a.m. against a Clark Fork duo. Lily Mott and Ginna Anderson square off against a team from Culdesac at 9:30 a.m.

Last year Whitney DeBree’s older sister Hadley teamed with Dixon Mooseau to win the state championship in mixed doubles. Whitney hopes to duplicate the feat with partner Danny Gariepy. The #2 ranked Wolverines meet a Clearwater duo at 11 a.m. The Community School has two teams in mixed doubles: Luke Fostvedt and Mandy Alexander (11 a.m.) and JP McNeal and Blake Ellis. McNeal and Ellis play the top-seeded squad from Parma at 11 a.m.

Singles and mixed doubles will be played at Timberline High School at 701 East Boise Avenue. Today, Friday, May 21, girls’ doubles will be at Williams Park, 300 Williams Street. Manitou Park at 600 Manitou Street is the site of boys’ doubles. On Saturday, both girls and boys doubles will start at Williams Park and move to Timberline for consolation and championship finals. Championship matches will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

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