Macumber, Gustafson win second straight tennis title
CALDWELL — Thanks in part to a pep talk from their coach, who reminded them to play like the defending state champions, Clark Fork seniors Shaina Gustafson and Chelsea Macumber beat Parma in three sets to claim their second straight 3A girls doubles title at the 3A state tennis tournament in Caldwell.
Macumber and Gustafson won the first set of the finals 6-4, before becoming tentative and falling 6-4 in the second set. Before the start of the third set, Wampus Cats head coach Mary Jo Lambert had some powerful words of advice.
Whatever she said worked wonders, as Macumber and Gustafson won a decisive third set 6-0 to defend their title.
“We had a little heart-to-heart and I said ‘why are you lobbing, look how you played all year?’” said Lambert of the pep talk. “They went in and it was just masterful. They drove the ball, rushed the net and just tore them apart.”
While Macumber will play volleyball and Gustafson basketball in college next year, Lambert believes each has the ability to play college tennis, if they ever wanted. Both players said the win came as a bit of relief, as each had put a lot of pressure on their shoulders to repeat and bring another state title home to Clark Fork.
“It’s like the icing on the cake of a great senior year,” said Gustafson, also lauding the coaching of Lambert in the third set. “We went for it and played our style, what we should have been doing all along. It’s exciting to bring home another state title to Clark Fork.”
What is usually a two-day tournament was pushed up because of expected rain on Saturday, as many of the 3A brackets were finished in one day. Macumber and Gustafson played seven sets on the day, downing another Parma team 6-4, 6-3 before beating Weiser 6-3, 7-5 in the semis.
Claire McMahon and Brocklynn Thornton also won a match at state, beating the much bigger Community School 6-4, 7-6 in the first round of the girls singles draw. The pair lost 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-1 to the two Parma teams in consolation, but gained valuable state experience.
“I’m extremely proud of Claire and Brock,” said Lambert, who wished to thank parents Becky Thornton and Lynn McMahon for their coaching help all season. “They’ll be contenders in the future. They’re both just sophomores.”
Stillman Berkley and Nate Nesbitt lost 6-1, 6-1 to Weiser in the first round, before beating Grangeville 6-2, 6-2 in consolation, followed by a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Community School to end their tournament.
Celeste Komanec and Nate Christensen lost in straight sets to Payette and Grangeville to end their tournament in mixed doubles. Kandice Daniels and Victor Walker fell 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the first round to Community, before falling 6-1, 7-6 to the other Community team in the mixed doubles consolation.