This season, the tennis team is sending more athletes to the state tournament in school history. Eight athletes will travel to College Station on May 17-18. Six athletes will compete in the tournament, and two athletes will go as alternates.

     Junior Megan Dwamena and Senior Garrett Mcguire won first place in Mixed Doubles at the regional tournament.

     “I was obviously a little worried to play our finals match against Smithville because their record for the year was 25-0,” Dwamena said. “We just decided to go out and play as aggressive and focused as possible. In the end, we beat them 6-3 6-3 which was a huge boost of confidence for us going into state.”

     Two seniors are also going to state in Girls’ Doubles. Cassidy Gillis and Nora Lawson also placed first at the regional tournament.

     “We have been practicing every day after regionals one on one with Coach [Peiser]and doing drills to work on our aggression and quickness,” Gillis said. “We are really excited. We are supposed to play the number two team from Bellville, so we have a pretty good chance there. If we advance any further, the competition will get tougher as we go on, but we are excited for the state opportunity.”

     This will be the second time competing at the state tournament for both Gillis and Lawson.

     “At all of our tournaments we kind of do the same things, like the way we warm up and the same types of stretches,” Gillis said. “This is the main way that I like to focus so that I am not thinking about actual state, and so I can treat it just like another tournament or just like practice. It is just consistency with what we normally do to try and keep calm.”

     Makenzie Munoz is a junior traveling to state with senior Jordan Connell as her partner in Girls’ Doubles. The two girls placed second at the regional tournament, and say that they have been preparing for state. Junior Brady Carroll and sophomore Micah Belanger are alternates in Boys’ Doubles.

     “We made it farther than we expected this season and are very happy with our results,” Belanger said. “I am very excited for next season already. We just have to keep working and practicing to do even better next season.”

     Carroll and Belanger placed third at the regional tournament missing state by one place.

     “We just practice a whole bunch and put in the work,” Belanger said. “I just try and continue to stay motivated and not let my teammates down.”