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DEER PARK – Four Newport players entered the regional tennis tournament with a chance to qualify for state. They needed a come from behind win, but Newport’s doubles team of Will McDaniel and Jeffry Pierson secured one of the three doubles slots.
McDaniel and Pierson won their first match in two-set wins at Deer Park Friday.
“Will and Jeffrey came out doing extremely well their first match and unfortunately just couldn’t get things going their second on Friday and ended up in the consolation bracket,” Coach Brandon McDaniel says. “It’s been a long grind for tournaments and the kids are definitely feeling stretched.”
McDaniel and Pierson struggled Saturday, McDaniel says.
Despite the struggles, the team got to the consolation finals following a tough two set win.
It didn’t start out well in the finals, with McDaniel and Pierson getting beat 6-1 in the opening set.
“They really looked defeated in between sets,” McDaniel says. The coaches got together and told them to have fun and stop worrying about the little things. “I don’t know if it was the advice or what exactly happened after that first set, but they came out a completely different team the second set and put it away fast with some great doubles tennis.”
The won the second set 6-3. In the pivotal third set, the Newport team found themselves trailing 4-0. McDaniel saw the match slipping away but thought if the doubles team could win a point or two they could make it interesting.
“They got the first one, then the second and you could feel the momentum swing big time in Jeff and Will’s favor,” McDaniel says. The team continued competing, winning six points in a row to win the set 6-4. “It was great to see them come back and find the energy and the play they needed, especially being as far behind as they were. Those two have been so consistent and competitive this year, it’s great to send them onto the state tournament for what is both of their senior year.”
The other two Newport singles players, Preston Davis and Sophia Stott, played hard but couldn’t qualify for state.
“Preston played an amazing tournament and had a chance to put it away a couple of times for a trip to state, but came up just short,” McDaniel says. “He really played a great match against a great opponent in his final match and I know he’s going to do great next year.”
Hughes lost his first match, won the next two loser out matches in two sets before falling to a Deer Park player in a tough three match set.
Stott had lost to a tough Caribou Trail League opponent from Cashmere.
“Sophia played a great game, but as you can see by the CTL crossover matches, those kids are very competitive in central Washington,” McDaniel says.
The state championships are Friday and Saturday, May 24-25, at the Yakima Tennis Club.
Egland, Davis, relay team qualifies for state
IONE – The Selkirk Rangers will send a contingent of track and field athletes to state following the 1B Regional Championships held in Ritzville May 1518.
Michael Egland qualified by winning the javelin event with a personal best throw of 151-feet, 7-inches. He finished second in the triple jump with a personal record 39-feet, 1.25-inch jump and fourth in the long jump. Egland also ran on the state-qualifying 4X400 relay team, along with Jameson Davis, Nathan Rasmussen and Spencer Duty.
Davis won fifth in the 800-meter race and 1,600-meter race, qualifying for state in those events, too.
The state meet will be held May 23-25 in Yakima.
Two qualify for state tournament
SPOKANE – Two Newport student golfers qualified for the state tournament after playing a second round of district golf at Latah Creek Golf Course: junior Chase Warren and senior Mykla Kiehn.
Wyatt Priddy from Deer Park won with 153 total for 36 holes. Warren finished ninth with 178. Ayecen McLeslie finished 15th with 187, Berg Hughes was 19th with 190, and Arther Dibble was 24th with 206. Lily Knight from Freeman took first place with 161. Kiehn finished sixth with 201.
“The district match was at one of the tougher courses along with all the kids in the league putting extra pressure on themselves,” coach Eric Slinger says.
The state tournament is May 21 and 22 in Chehalis at Riverside Golf Club after newspaper deadline.
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