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Sunday, June 1, 2008
Silenced Rackets
Fort Worth, TX
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Area athletes failed to make much racket at the state meet.
Of all the gold medals handed out at the UIL state tennis meet last month, none made it back to Tarrant or Denton counties.
The closest the area came was the mixed doubles duo of Mary Bowman and Erik Katzen from Argyle. The pair was taken down in the 3A final by a team from Abilene Wylie, 6-4, 6-3. They had advanced to the final after sweeping Van’s Natalie Hand and Josh Wilgus 6-3, 6-3.
Despite the loss, just playing in the final was the highlight of the season for Bowman, who was grateful to “experience the insanity of state.”
Katzen, a senior, will move on to college next fall, leaving Bowman without a partner and a without a clear idea of what the future holds.
“I'll have to talk with my coach first and decide my best option, which will probably be singles.”
Like Bowman, Katzen’s highlight of the season was reaching the state final.
“Both Mary and I played in state two years ago (girls doubles and boys singles, respectively) and we wanted to make it back to state this year. That was our goal and we accomplished it and more.”
Southlake Carroll’s fab freshman Megan Horter carried an unblemished 21-0 record into the first round of the tournament, but she couldn’t extend the streak to 22. Horter was unfortunately paired opposite the No. 1 ranked 5A player in the state, sophomore Ariel Morton from Klein.
Horter actually took the first set, 6-3, but was then beaten 6-1, 6-1 in the final two sets. Horter is expected to be a familiar face in Austin for years to come.
“As a freshman, Megan was 56-9 for the season playing both number one singles and doubles against some of the best high school players in the state,” Southlake Carroll tennis coach Norman Smith said. “She has the drive and determination to go big time. It is a pleasure to work with her.”
Boswell’s Chris Copenhaver played his final high school match in the quarterfinals. The District 6-4A singles champion lost the first set, 6-3, but then rallied to win a marathon second set 7-6 (8-6). With little left in the tank, Copenhaver was blanked in the decisive third set, 6-0.
Mixed doubles pair Alex Hanno and Haley Holt faced something unique in their first-round ousting at the 5A state tournament. The Grapevine duo had to deal with a pair of left-handed players from Houston Clear Lake.
It was too much for the two Mustangs, who ended their season with a 43-3 record. Hanno and Holt fell 6-2, 6-3.
Another local mixed doubles duo suffered a similar fate. Alvarado’s Daniel Kil and Megan Billings were bounced from the 4A tournament in a 6-2, 6-0 first-round meeting with eventual runners-up Adam Chirhart and Hillary David from Austin Lake Travis.
Billings, a senior, will move on to Dallas Baptist next fall, but Kil is only a sophomore and hopes to find himself back in Austin next year for another shot.
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