By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
EMPORIA – After running away with the United Kansas Conference on Tuesday, the Seaman girls' tennis team rolled through the competition in Saturday's Class 5A regional tournament, sweeping the singles, doubles and team championships at Emporia High School.
Coming into Saturday, Seaman was riding a lot of momentum from clinching a conference championship.
Seaman senior Lauren Sweeney, a state doubles champion last season, will take aim on the Class 5A singles crown Friday and Saturday in Andover. [File photo/TSN]
UKC champions Katie Krumins (left) and Molly Gorman added a Class 5A regional doubles title on Saturday in Emporia. [File photo/TSN]
“I think the key for us has been the momentum,” Seaman coach Jamie Robinson said. “The momentum has been evident. It’s easier to practice when things are going so well. Winning league and regionals will help us in practice.
“I think we are going to cause as much chaos at state as possible.”
Like Tuesday, senior star Lauren Sweeney swept the regional championship in singles, while junior Katie Krumins and freshman Molly Gorman swept the competition in doubles.
Katie Eckert and Ella Foxhoven were runner-ups in doubles while Nina Del-Zio took a fourth-place finish in singles.
Sweeney, one of 5A’s best players, made things look easy on Saturday.
Sweeney had to play teammate, Del-Zio, for a spot in the first-place match. Sweeney hated that.
“That was rough for us,” Sweeney said. “We play with each other every day so we know how each other moves and plays. You never like playing a teammate in that situation. We had a good couple of sets, but that was tough.”
Sweeney, the 5A state doubles champion as a junior, is coming off of a United Kansas Conference singles championship from Tuesday and a 5A regional championship on Saturday.
“I think I have been playing smart and confident,” Sweeney said. “I think the momentum from league definitely helped me today. My serves are doing really well. I just have to keep playing smart and know when to pull the trigger.”
Gorman and Krumins were also coming off of their conference championship win in doubles.
Gorman and Kremins and teammates Eckert and Foxhoven chose to forfeit the championship match with the regional championship and state berths already intact.
“It was a fantastic day,” Robinson said. “We fought hard in every match. We ended up in the singles and doubles finals which was exciting. Lauren and Nina did excellent today. Today was a tough draw across the board. Today was loaded with powerful singles and doubles players.”
Shawnee Heights and Topeka West also participated on Saturday at Emporia High, with both the Thunderbirds and the Chargers eliminated in the first round of regional play in singles and doubles.
Seaman will compete in the 5A state meet next Friday and Saturday at the Andover District Tennis Complex.
CLASS 5A GIRLS REGIONAL TENNIS
At Emporia
Team scores
Seaman 24, De Soto 9, Blue Valley Southwest 9, Emporia 8, Spring Hill 8.
Individual results
Singles
Championship – Sweeney, Seaman, def. Keough, Emporia, 6-0, 6-0.
Third – Gibbs, Blue Valley Southwest, def. Del-Zio, Seaman, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
Fifth – Hellerich, De Soto, def. Albright, De Soto, 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles
Championship – Gorman/Krumins, Seaman, winner by default over Eckert/Foxhoven, Seaman.
Third – Kilbey/Infante, Spring Hill, def. Hartweger/LyBarger, Blue Valley Southwest, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
Fifth – Fandre/Endsley, De Soto, def. Chanley/Foraker, Emporia, 6-3, 6-0.
