Schwab has shot
VANCOUVER – Mead’s Katrina Schwab may win a second state tennis title, but it will have to be all on her own this year.
The Seattle University-bound senior will play Decatur freshman Meghan Cassen in one of today’s singles semifinals at the Vancouver Tennis Center.
A year ago, Schwab teamed with Britta Stime to win the 4A doubles title.
Stime is playing doubles this year with her younger sister Katijene.
Schwab is the only one of the six Greater Spokane League entries in the state tournament to advance to the semis.
After a two-set opening round win, Schwab needed a third-set super tiebreaker to dispatch Skyview’s Abby Olbrich in her quarterfinal.
After dropping the first set 6-4, and trailing 0-1 in the second set, Schwab won six straight games to even the match.
Rain limited courts for the tournament, so 10-point tie-breakers were used in place of third sets. In one stretch, Schwab won eight of nine tiebreaker points, eventually beating Olbrich 10-6 to win the match.
“For me, I was relieved,” Schwab said of the third-set system to speed up play. “I didn’t want to have to play a whole third set. I’ve been fighting injuries.”
After an opening-round win, the Stime sisters were beaten in the quarterfinals by Bellarmine Prep’s Julia Galbraith and Nell Shonnard, 5-7, 6-2. Stime and Stime stayed alive by winning in consolation play.
Ferris’ Colin Siok and Kevin Satre and Mead’s Ethan Vaughn and Ethan Burns both won opening-round boys doubles matches, lost their next matches and then won to reach the consolation semifinals where they will face each other. Katie Griffith of Ferris was another quarterfinal victim.
In her third trip to state, Griffith won in the opening round, but lost to last year’s runner-up, Gig Harbor’s Christy Sipes, 6-1, 6-2. Griffith then scored a consolation win over Wenatchee’s Nicole Barnhart, 6-0, 6-4.
3A: At the Tri-Cities Tennis Center, no local entrants made it beyond the first day.
2A: At the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle, three of the four semifinalists in boys singles are from the Great Northern League. Clarkston teammates Kyle Servatius and Richard Muszynski III will face each other in one semifinal this morning. Medical Lake’s Max Nelson will play Will Topp of Sehome in the other semifinal.
Elise Rooney of Clarkston has reached the girls singles semifinals against Lindsay Newman of South Whidbey. Ashley Beitz of Pullman will play a consolation semifinal.
Roni Hewett and Lena Miraglio of Clarkston have reached the consolation semifinals in girls doubles. Clarkston’s boys doubles team of Dustin McConnell and Shane Roberts played a late consolation match.
1A girls: At Yakima, Gina Spring of Lakeside has made the singles consolation semifinals against Freeman’s Bree Riddle. In doubles, Hannah Jansen and Lea Jansen of Freeman have reached the semifinals.
2B/1B girls: At the Yakima Tennis Center, Jennifer Smith of Davenport won twice and will play Ksenja Federe of Wilson Creek for the title. Soon Lee of St. George’s reached the third-place match. Davenport’s Jennifer Curley plays Angela Potter of LaCrosse-Washtucna for fourth and sixth.
In doubles, Sprague-Harrington’s Rachel Roberts and Candace Hansen will play for the championship against Frankie Webster and Katie Quam of Reardan. Courtney McClanahan and Candace McNair of Northwest Christian will play for third place. Ashley Warnecke and Kayla D’Arcy of Wilbur-Creston will play for fourth place.