Bulldog girls ready to do damage at state tennis
(Photo by ERIC PLUMMER) Junior Tessa Beeman will team with Noah Hastings in mixed doubles, as the Bulldogs will take seven players to the 4A state tennis tourament.
SANDPOINT — The 4A Region 1 tennis tournament usually awards just two berths to state in each bracket, but this year the league got three, so Sandpoint will now take seven players to the 4A state tennis tournament, held today and Saturday in Boise.
Allura Livington, Jenny Slaveck and Alana Seifert are all in the girls singles draw, April and Amy Clark are in the girls doubles draw and Tessa Beeman and Noah Hastings are in the mixed doubles.
The Bulldog girls team, all underclassmen, are exceptionally deep this year, and should win plenty of matches this weekend, especially if the last practice was any indication.
“Our last practice was today (Wednesday) and all six girls headed to state are ripping the cover off the ball. Both Allura and Jenny look to have decent draws and I’m hoping they can make a run toward Saturday’s championship round at BSU,” said head coach Kent Anderson. “Alana could make some noise, as well. Her game is so consistent. The girls singles draw is loaded with Sandpoint players. This is the best single school showing I’ve ever seen. Amy and April are playing very calm and collected. They have the ability to methodically march through the early rounds.”
The mixed doubles team of Beeman and Hastings has come on strong of late, and could pose an upset as a lower seed.
“They are both playing extremely well. Noah gains skill and confidence every time he walks on the court. Tessa’s improvement this year has been meteoric. She was awarded Most Improved for 2017 and she just keeps getting better,” claimed Anderson. “Sandpoint tennis will be tough again this year. It’ll be a question of who can perform the best under extreme pressure.”
The state tournament is today and Saturday at various venues around Boise.