PREP TENNIS: MA teams advance to state; St. James sweeps 1A-3A sectional; Trinity advances

COMBINED REPORTS

he Montgomery Academy boys’ and girls’ tennis teams competed in the 7A Section 2 tournament finals at O’Connor Tennis Center on Wednesday.

Both teams were playing Auburn in the finals. The boys defeated the Tigers 56-47, while the girls finished as runner-up. All four squads qualified for the 7A state tennis tournament at the Mobile Tennis Center on April 27-28.

The Montgomery Academy boys reached the finals in all six singles matches, winning four.

At No. 1, senior Whit Davis won his 114th career match, defeating Opelika’s Connor Mullins 6-0, 6-0. At No. 2, Charlie Hill defeated Auburn’s Jinsung Cho 3-6, 6-2, 10-5. At No. 3, John Alford defeated Auburn’s Davis Jackson 6-2, 6-1. At No. 6, Edwin Wu defeated Auburn’s Shin Kim 6-2, 6-3.

Auburn won the other two singles matches, with Kaleb Kirkland beating Montgomery Academy’s Jackson Brown 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 and Kevin Yan beating MA’s Ford Morano 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 at No. 5.

In doubles, Montgomery Academy’s Alford and Jackson Brown defeated Lenny Bankston and Davis Jackson 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 and Hill and Ron Sharma defeated Jinsung Cho and Kevin Yan 4-6, 6-0, 10-7 at No. 2.

Auburn’s Luis Jeong and Kirkland won at No. 3, defeating Montgomery Academy’s Carlyle Chandler and Morano 6-4, 6-2.

The Montgomery Academy girls finished as runner-up to Auburn, winning just two singles matches and one doubles match.

No. 1 Gabby Barrera and No. 2 Jenna Chandler won in singles, then teamed up to win at No. 1 doubles.  

St. James advances to State

The St. James boys’ and girls’ tennis teams advanced to the 1A-3A state tennis tournament in Mobile, capturing first place in the Section 2 tournament at Lagoon Park Tennis Center on Monday and Tuesday.

The girls’ team reached the finals in all six singles matches, winning five, and in all three doubles matches, winning two.

Indian Springs finished as the runner-up and also advanced to the state tournament.

In singles, Stella Sponseller won at No. 2, Karly Bailey won at No. 3, Bailey Woods won at No. 4, Davis Wilsford won at No. 5 and Addison Seale won at No. 6.

At No. 1, Sohana Cuplugh of Indian Springs defeated St. James’ Reilly Taylor, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-8.

In doubles, Sponseller-Bailey won at No. 1 and Taylor-Seale won at No. 2. Raliegh Covent and Wilford advanced to the finals before losing to Tuscaloosa Academy.

The St. James boys, like the girls, reached the finals in each of the six singles matches, winning five, and swept the doubles. Indian Springs finished as the runner-up and also advanced to the state tournament.

In singles, Toba Rios won at No. 1, Josh Harvey won at No. 2, Danny Trock won at No. 3, Ryan Jeong won at No. 4 and Jason Jeong won at No. 5.

At No. 6, Henry Wilder of Indian Springs defeated St. James’ Grayson Eaves, 4-6, 7-6, 10-8.

In doubles, Rios-Harvey won at No. 1, Trock-Ryan Jeong won at No. 2 and Jason Jeong-Eaves won at No. 3. 

Trinity boys, girls advance to 6A state

MILLBROOK -- The Trinity boys’ and girls’ tennis teams qualified for the upcoming state tennis tournament, finishing among the top two teams in the 6A Section 2 tournament held at 17 Springs on Monday and Tuesday.

Trinity hosted the event and the girls won the section, defeating Pike Road in the finals, while the boys finished as runner-up to Spanish Fort. All four squads will compete in the state tournament in Mobile next week.

The boys ended the section tournament with three section champions. James Treadwell beat Spanish Fort’s Jake Miller 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 at No. 3, giving Treadwell, a sophomore, his third section championship and fourth consecutive undefeated season. (There was no section tournament in 2020 because of COVID).

Freshman Trevor Wilson beat Spanish Fort’s Nash Thomas in the finals 4-6, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) to take the section championship at No. 5.

James Treadwell partnered with his brother, junior Samuel Treadwell, to beat Spanish Fort’s Goodwin Holley and Gillen Holley 6-4, 6-1, to take the section title at No. 1 doubles. This caps an undefeated season for the brothers and is their third section championship together.

The Trinity girls came close to a sweep of the section, with their only finals loss at No. 2 singles.

In the boys’ section, Spanish Fort finished first, followed by Trinity, Pike Road. Robertsdale and Baldwin County.

At No. 1, Spanish Fort’s Goodwin Holley defeated Trinity’s Timothy Hornsby; at No. 2, Gillen Holley defeated Samuel Treadwell (who retired due to injury) and at No. 6, Jacob Thom defeated Charlie Franklin.

At No. 4, Pike Road’s Micah Cobb defeated Spanish Fort’s Maysun Marino 6-1, 6-1.

Spanish Fort won the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, with Miller and Marino defeating Pike Road’s Patrick Quinn and David Yii 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 and Thomas and Jacob Thom beating Trinity’s Wilson and Grant Speagle 6-2, 6-2.

In the girls’ section, Trinity finished first, followed by Pike Road, Spanish Fort, Robertsdale and Baldwin County. The Wildcats won five of the six singles matches and reached the finals in all six.

Trinity’s Margaret Roby defeated Pike Road’s Emma Jane Stricklin 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 1, Kingsley Johns defeated Pike Road’s Rose Lucas 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3, Aniston Skipworth beat Pike Road’s Naye Yeo 6-0, 3-6, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 4, Sally Warren defeated Pike Road’s Grayson Nolen 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5 and Henlee Gunter defeated Spanish Fort’s Madison Long 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6.

At No. 2 singles, Spanish Fort’s Bella Wilkinson defeated Trinity’s Kensley Williamson 6-4, 6-2.

The Trinity girls swept the doubles, with Johns and Skipworth beating Pike Road’s Stricklin and Ella Clark 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1; Williamson and Warren beat Pike Road’s Lucas and Matilyn Pope 6-1, 6-0 t No. 2; and Warren and Reese Patterson defeated Pike Road’s Nolen and Yeo 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 3.