Five Urbana players looking for a spot in the tennis state finals
DANVILLE - After the first day of competition at the Danville High School sectional, five area tennis players are in position to earn a spot in this year's IHSA Tennis State Finals.
Both of Urbana High School's doubles pairs advanced to the semifinal round on Friday.
Alisa Tangmunarunkit and Luna Morales, who earned the #1 seed, won both first-day matches in straight sets. The duo notched their first win 6-0, 7-6, over Watseka's Moriah Pueschell and Sarah Parsons. The two seniors then crushed Paris' Bella Moreschi and Myah Bartos, 6-1, 6-3.
Meanwhile, Tigers' teammates Lorelie Yau and Eisla Madigan, who also won their quarterfinal bout, defeated Emerson Barrett and Graci Watson in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-3. Yau and Madigan will face Mahomet-Seymours Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young on Saturday, hoping to punch their ticket to the sectional title match. Saturday, Tangmunarunkit and Morales take the court against Mahomet-Seymour's Adella Bird and Holland Martin, who are the #4 seed and have dropped just three out of 27 of their sectional tournament games. Still alive in the singles bracket, University High's Kruthi Ramanath will play #3 seed Reese Rundle from Danville in a semifinal match. Ramanath served notice to all challengers, double bageling Paris' Ava Barrett in her second-round match and doing the same in the quarterfinal to Mahomet-Seymour's Emmie Flores.
Urbana's Lorelie Yau puts the ball away at the net during a doubles match against Centennial on August 30 at the beginning of the season. The senior, along with doubles partner Eisla Madigan (not pictured), won their first two matches at the Danville Tennis sectional on Friday. A semifinal win Saturday morning will guarantee a trip to the IHSA Tennis State Finals in Barrington next week.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Meanwhile, Tigers' teammates Lorelie Yau and Eisla Madigan, who also won their quarterfinal bout, defeated Emerson Barrett and Graci Watson in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-3. Yau and Madigan will face Mahomet-Seymours Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young on Saturday, hoping to punch their ticket to the sectional title match. Saturday, Tangmunarunkit and Morales take the court against Mahomet-Seymour's Adella Bird and Holland Martin, who are the #4 seed and have dropped just three out of 27 of their sectional tournament games. Still alive in the singles bracket, University High's Kruthi Ramanath will play #3 seed Reese Rundle from Danville in a semifinal match. Ramanath served notice to all challengers, double bageling Paris' Ava Barrett in her second-round match and doing the same in the quarterfinal to Mahomet-Seymour's Emmie Flores.
Season ends for many talented players
Tiger's Grace Cody enjoyed a first-round bye in the singles bracket. Unfortunately, she ran into the #2 seed in her second-round match, falling quickly in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, to Vikings' Anna Houpt.
After winning her first match decisively, 6-0, 6-0, St. Joseph-Ogden senior Addison Seggebruch's prep tennis career came to a close after she fell 1 & 1 to Schlarman's Maya Jenny.
University High's Charlotte Lin started out on fire, cruising past Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley's Audrey Iverson in straight sets in her opening match, 6-1, 6-1. In her next match, Lin fell to Schlarman's Jenny, 6-0, 6-0, to the Hilltoppers' #4 seed.
Urbana's Alicia Garcia went 1-1 on opening day. She won her first-rounder over Schlarman's Anna Lehman, 6-1, 6-0. Her second-round match didn't go her way. Unable to notch a single game, she fell to Danville's Reese Rundle, 0 & 0.
Addison Ross' second-round match against Mahomet-Seymour's Emmie Flores was the only contest requiring a third set and a set tie-breaker to determine who advanced to the next round. After losing the first set, 6-3, Ross battled furiously to take the second set of the match 6-1. The St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore was narrowly defeated in the third set, falling 7-6 to Flores.
Doubles duo finished for the season
St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore duo Lily Rice and Caroline Aden fell 6-2, 6-1, to Mahomet-Seymour's Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young.
Like Rice and Aden, SJO juniors Ellie Ward and MaKennah Hamilton saw their season end in the second round. After winning their opening match 6-0, 6-1, the pair lost a heartbreaker 7-6, 7-6, to Danville's Lexi Foley and Aliya Morgan.
