Sunday, May. 31, 2009

Kamiakin's Welch, Warner pick up 2nd tennis title

By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer

KENNEWICK — Ali Welch and Demie Warner evened out the checks and balances of their season Saturday, winning a pair of matches en route to capturing their second straight state doubles tennis title.

The Kamiakin juniors, who suffered a 4A regional loss to Britta and Katijene Stime of Mead last week, evened the score, beating the Spokane-based team 6-1, 7-5 at Tri-City Court Club to add a 4A state title to the 3A trophy they won last year.

"I think this year was tougher," Welch said. "Districts and regionals was a tough road. It's redemption to come back and beat these teams."

In the semifinals, Welch and Warner beat Amy Scheumann and Tatiana Wood of Wenatchee 6-3, 6-2. The Wenatchee pair beat Welch and Warner in the CBBN district finals.

"I thought they played beautifully today," said Kamiakin coach Sarah Miller. "I felt this morning Ali stroked the ball beautifully and I think that intimidated Wenatchee. In the second set (of the finals) Demie controlled the middle of the court. It's the sign of a good team to change and adjust."

The 10 points Welch and Warner earned for finishing first was enough to secure a share of the team title with Decatur and Newport.

Kamiakin won the 3A team title last year, with Welch and Warner winning their first state championship.

Meghan Cassens of Decatur won the girls singles title with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Antonia Liebenow of Lake Stevens.

In the boys tournament, Richland won the team title with 13 points after getting a third-place finish from Troy Zuroske in singles and a sixth-place finish by the doubles team of Chris Shallman and Taylor Dickey.

Max Manthou of Kentwood won his third-straight singles title with a 6-2, 7-6 victory over Matt Overland of Kentridge.

In the doubles, Wenatchee's Clint Vidano and Hudson Barnhart won their first state title, beating Steven Miyauchi and Zach Chen of Newport in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2.

In the championship match, Welch and Warner cruised to a 6-1 first-set victory, but the Stime sisters revved up the action in the second set, taking leads of 2-1 and 5-4 before Welch served for the win with Warner slicing the ball down the middle of the court on match point.

"When we were down 5-4, I thought it would go to a third set," Warner said. "I was serving and my serves weren't too hot today. They are a great team. We had lost to them before and that gave us motivation."

Warner held serve to tie the second set at 5, then Kamiakin broke the serve of Katijene Stime, putting Welch at the line to serve for the match.

"I served for the win last year," Welch said. "I love my serve."

With the two state titles, Welch ties her mother Randi, who won two North Dakota state titles with her cousin Diane in 1982-83.

"I'm going to beat that. I'm going for three," Welch said.

After Zuroske won his opening match in straight sets Friday, he had to stave off four match points by Michael Chamerski to reach the semis Saturday morning.

The Richland junior met his match in Overland, but not before pushing him to 7-6 in the first set before losing the second 6-0.

In the third-place match, Zuroske beat Kyle Koetje of Stanwood 7-6 (8), 6-4.

"There were no gimmes at all. There were no free points," Zuroske said. "There were no bad players here. This whole tournament was one of the toughest of my life."

3A

VANCOUVER -- Hanford's Jake Knox and Curtis Lan finished second in the doubles bracket at the Vancouver Tennis Complex after dropping the championship match to Andrew LaCava and Jason Bediones of Seattle Prep 6-0, 6-1.

Knox and Lan beat Max Franklin and Andrew Smith of Mercer Island 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals.

Hanford freshman Luke Thompson finished sixth in the singles bracket, losing the fourth-place match 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to Kevin Kosanke of Bellevue.

Thompson's points helped the Falcons finish second to Seattle Prep in the team standings with 14 points.

Lance Wilhelm of Peninsula won the boys singles title after placing second in 2008.

Wilhelm broke a seven-year hold by Lakeside on the singles title. Peter Kung won four titles

(2002-05), while Davis Mangham won the last three (2006-08), and placed second to Kung in 2005.

2A

SEATTLE -- Grandview's Rogi Fajard fell one match short of placing, losing his consolation semifinal match to Yasser Khan of W.F. West 6-1, 6-2 at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. Fajard earned all 4 of the Greyhounds' points.

1A

YAKIMA -- Connell's Lauren Booker and Anali Galvez improved on their showing from last year, but still fell one match short of the placing after dropping a 6-7, 7-6, 7-5 consolation semifinal match to Goldendale's Kylee Bellamy and Ryell Carley.