CHSAANow

Month: May 2018

  • Familiar faces return to the 3A girls tennis semifinals at No. 1 singles

    3A girls tennis state tournament
    Steamboat Springs’ Mae Thorp. (Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)

    GREELEY — Familiar faces are leading the pack in the Class 3A state tennis tournament‘s No. 1 singles draw as the semifinals approach.

    Steamboat Springs sophomore Mae Thorp, who made it to the finals last year but was defeated by Sammy Moore-Thompson of Colorado Academy, will be getting a shot at redemption as she has made it back to the semifinals.

    “My goal is to make it to state all four years,” said Thorp. “I’m excited that I have done it the last two years, plus its an awesome feeling to have won regionals this year too.”

    The semifinals will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday. The tournament has been modified to a two-day format in order to avoid bad weather on Saturday.

    Thorp started the day with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Colorado Springs Christian’s Tristen VanDeVeer and defeated Pueblo County’s Erin Mauro in the quarterfinals (6-1, 6-0). Thorp will go against Jules Thompson, a freshman at Colorado Springs School, in the semifinals.

    “This season has really helped prepare me for these games,” said Thorp. “We played a lot of 5A schools so that really has helped me play against some of these hard hitters.”

    3A girls tennis state tournament
    Peak to Peak’s Trisha Somasundaram. (Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)

    Also making a return to the semifinals is Peak to Peak’s Trisha Somasundaram. In last year’s tournament Somasundaram also fell victim to Moore-Thompson in the semifinals.

    Despite losing in the semifinals last year, Somasundaram’s focus on Friday is not on winning, but on enjoying herself and having fun.

    “I have been playing tennis since I was four years old,” said a smiling Somasundaram. “If you would have told me I would be playing in the state tournament, I wouldn’t have believed you because I just play for fun.”

    Sometimes the key to success is to just forget the stress and stakes and focus on having fun. That strategy has helped Somasundaram as she has gone undefeated this year.

    Somasundaram started the day with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Lutheran’s Gabrielle Mosley despite her nerves.

    “I was really nervous when I first started out,” said Somasundaram. “I just had to tell myself that I got this and continued to motivate myself to keep playing like I know I can.”

    Somasundaram ended the day with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Julia Giltner of Holy Family in the quarterfinals. Somasundaram will face Mia Oliver of Denver North in the semifinals.

    “Despite feeling extremely exhausted from this heat, I’m glad I was able to keep my composure,” Somasundaram said. “At the beginning of the season I told myself that I was going to try my best in all my matches, but that I was mainly just playing for fun.”

    Somasundaram was not only dominant on Thursday, but her team was also as they showed up and played well. This is the first time that Peak to Peak has had their whole team qualify for state.

    “I’m extremely proud of our team this year,” said Somasundaram. “Last year it was just me and my sister, but to have our whole team here with us is just amazing and the highlight of our season.”

    After Day 1, Holy Family holds the team lead with 17 points.

    D’Evelyn is in second with 16 points, and Dawson is in a close third with 14 points.

    The No. 1 doubles field is set with University’s Orcutt/Vieyra playing Dawson’s Blank/Shehan. Holy Family’s Donovan/Licata will face D’Evelyn’s Lee/Sanders.

    In No. 2 singles, Somasundaram’s sister Trini will face D’Evelyn’s Angi Reed. Aspen’s Niko Hansen will take on Paige Giltner of Holy Family.

    On the other side, No. 2 doubles will consist of D’Evelyn’s Perkes/Jennings playing Griffith/Salberg of Eaton. Colorado Academy’s Lin/Wolf-Tinsman will compete against Dawson’s Ramos/Rinard.  

    No. 3 singles will have another Peak to Peak and D’Evelyn matchup with Elisa Dean and Tiffany Tran. Colorado Academy’s Amanda Funk will compete against Aspen’s Macy Hopkinson.

    No. 3 doubles will consist of Dawson’s Shehan/Joris against Bonthron/Hawley of D’Evelyn. The other match is Brakhage/Lin of Peak to Peak and Smolky/Lindoefer of Holy Family.

    No. 4 doubles has Holy Family’s Coster/Mojica facing Dawson’s Garfinkle/Devereux. Opposite them is University’s Hawkins/Wood playing Pueblo County’s Hanratty/Gomez.

  • Photos: Niwot jumps out to early lead at 4A state girls tennis tournament

    PUEBLO — Niwot advanced all seven position to Friday’s semifinals and took the early team lead at the Class 4A state girls tennis tournament.

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  • Photos: Cherry Creek takes early lead at 5A state girls tennis tournament

    DENVER — Cherry Creek jumped out to the early team lead on the first day of the Clas 5A state girls tennis tournament.

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  • Photos: No. 3 Mountain Vista boys lacrosse tops No. 14 Dakota Ridge in 5A tourney

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — An offensive blast from Cam Hancock and Jake Govett led No. 3 Mountain Vista to a 15-6 win over No. 14 Dakota Ridge in the first round of the Class 5A state boys lacrosse tournament.

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  • Poudre’s Ky Ecton becomes first repeat champ at 5A No. 1 singles since 2010

    5A girls tennis state championship 2018 Ky Ecton Poudre
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    DENVER — Poudre’s Ky Ecton is atop the Class 5A girls tennis world. Again.

    Ecton, a senior, captured the 5A No. 1 singles championship for the second straight season, this one coming via a 6-4, 6-4 win over Rock Canyon sophomore Meghna Chowdhury on Friday at Gates Tennis Center.

    She is the first girl to repeat as champion at No. 1 singles in 5A since former Poudre star Natalie Dunn did it in 2010. Ecton grew up watching Dunn play — her mom, Laura, has been Poudre’s coach for more than 20.

    “I always looked up to Natalie Dunn as a role model, and being able to say I did the same thing as her is something really cool,” Ecton said. “I know how hard it is to be a state champion, and coming back and doing it again, there was a little more pressure, but I think that’s pressure I put on myself. Being able to live up to my expectations felt really good that I was able to grit it out and play my best.”

    Ecton never trailed in the championship match, but Chowdhury battled tough. Each set was tied at 4-4 before Ecton won the last two games.

    She finishes her senior season 25-0, and lost just a single set all year.

    This season, Ecton had to deal with a format change at the state tournament. The 5A tournament adjusted from a three-day format to two days in an effort to avoid poor weather on Saturday. That meant Ecton had to play two matches on Friday — the semifinals and the championship.

    “Usually, after our (second day), we go home, go to a movie, go to the mall, go shopping, that sort of thing, so it’s more of a team bonding experience,” Ecton said. “But I think it’s also cool, (playing the entire tournament in two days), because, for me personally, the first match was, ‘OK, I’m warmed up, I’ve played a match already.’ And it was also really cool.

    “I had teammates playing the whole day, I was able to watch them. As compared to last year, I was the only one who was playing,” Ecton said. “It was really cool to support my team. It felt more like a team sport rather than an individual sport.”

    5A girls tennis state championship 2018 Meghna Chowdhury Rock Canyon
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    Chowdhury was seeking to become Rock Canyon’s first-ever individual girls champion. As it was, she became the school’s first-ever placer.

    Ecton’s run to a second-straight individual title also helped Poudre secure its spot as runner-up — the team’s highest-ever finish.

    The Impalas placed second to Cherry Creek, which had a dominant run to the program’s second-consecutive team title, and 35th overall. The Bruins, a perennial power, had built a large lead after the first day of play on Thursday, and only extended that lead early on Friday.

    By 11:15 a.m., before the first rounds of playbacks were complete, the Bruins had already mathematically secured their championship. They finished with 85 points.

    They had individual champions at No. 2 singles (Eliza Hill), No. 3 singles (Nicole Hill), No. 1 doubles (Micha Handler and Miranda Kawula), No. 2 doubles (Anna Fusaris and Halley Mackiernan) and No. 4 doubles (Emily Wilkins and Dahlia Rappaport).

    Also winning an individual championship were Marie Manassez and Grace Neff of Regis Jesuit at No. 3 doubles.

    Denver East finished third as a team with 29 points, Fort Collins (22) was fourth, and Fairview (17) rounded out the top five.

    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

  • 4A girls tennis: Niwot freshman looks to make history in No. 1 singles

    4A girls state tennis Niwot Lucy Lu
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    PUEBLO — One look at Niwot freshman Lucy Lu and it’s not hard to remember that Kent Denver’s Josie Schaffer also pulled off a stunning feat as a freshman.

    Schaffer battled her way through the No. 1 singles bracket and claimed a state championship in 2016. Lu has a chance to make the same kind of history at the Class 4A state girls tennis tournament. But she has to get through Schaffer to do it.

    The two-time defending champion versus the highly-touted freshman. This is what championship Saturday’s are made of and Schaffer can still remember her first one two years ago.

    “That was the most nervous I’ve ever been,” Schaffer said. “Being on that court and having everyone watching you is a terrifying experience, but at the same time, it’s exhilarating. It’s so fun. I’m really happy she gets the opportunity to do that too.”

    Lu cruised in her semifinal match against last year’s runner-up, Durango’s Mavis Edwards. She went 6-0, 6-1 to continue the dominating play that she has wowed fans with since the start of the tournament on Thursday.

    And with three decisive victories under her belt, she heads into Saturday knowing that it’s going to be tough to beat Schaffer, but she certainly has a shot to do it.

    “I’m definitely more confident winning three-straight matches,” Lu said. “But tomorrow is going to be more tough. Obviously, I’m not going to win easy tomorrow, so I just have to go out and try my best and if I lose, that’s fine. I’m out here enjoying the experience.”

    4A girls tennis Kent Denver Josie Schaffer
    (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)

    Beyond building her own legend at Pueblo City Park, Lu’s match has more implications for Niwot than it does for Kent Denver. Heading into Saturday, the Cougars are in first place in the team standings with defending champion Cheyenne Mountain just five points behind.

    Both teams have five positions in Saturday’s finals, three of which will be against each other. Niwot took the early team lead after Thursday’s rounds, but knew they had plenty of work to do if it was going to dethrone the Indians from the top of the podium.

    “We wanted seven (into finals), but we knew we had to get five,” Niwot coach Aimee Keronen said.

    It makes for a more interesting Saturday than last year when Cheyenne Mountain had clinched the team championship before play concluded on Friday.

    Now the Indians are in the position where they have to battle tooth and nail if they want to claim a 10th consecutive title. For a coach looking to teach his kids to compete, it’s a situation that Cheyenne Mountain coach David Adams won’t shy away from, even if he doesn’t necessarily crave it.

    “It’s definitely more exciting, I don’t know that I’d say it’s more fun,” Adams said. “It takes a few years off our lives going through this. But that’s how it’s supposed to be. Tomorrow is going to come down to both of us. We’re focused on trying to win the whole thing, as is Niwot.”

    All finals and third-place matches will begin at 9 a.m. at Pueblo City Park on Saturday.

  • Mullen upsets D’Evelyn, defending 4A girls soccer state champs

    D’Evelyn freshman Lauren Cook (11) makes a run on goal in the first half Wednesday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — There will be a new Class 4A girls soccer state champion.

    Mullen junior Makena Guthrie made sure of that fact late in the second overtime period Wednesday night at Lakewood Memorial Field. Guthrie’s shot from 35 yards out hit the bottom of the cross bar and into the back of the net in the 104-minute of the first-round state playoff game against defending 4A state champion D’Evelyn.

    D’Evelyn senior Kylie Sumpter (13) blocks the path of Mullen sophomore Anna Riddle. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    The goal gave the No. 29-seeded Mustangs a 1-0 double-overtime victory over No. 4 D’Evelyn.

    Mullen (6-6-4) scored the biggest upset in terms of seeding in the opening round knocking off the Jaguars (9-5-2). However, Mustangs’ record is a little deceiving since Mullen plays in the strong 5A Centennial League during the regular season.

    The Mustangs finished tied for fifth in the conference that features Grandview, Cherokee Trail, Cherry Creek and Arapahoe. All those teams won their first-round 5A playoff games Tuesday night and are all top-12 seeds in the 5A state tournament.

    D’Evelyn was all too familiar with overtime games this season. The Jaguars played in seven overtime games this season and were 3-2-2 in games that went extra sessions this spring.

    The Jaguars were the lone 4A Jeffco League team to drop its conference opener Wednesday night. No. 2 Valor Christian, No. 7 Evergreen, No. 8 Standley Lake, No. 10 Wheat Ridge, No. 13 Littleton and No. 14 Green Mountain all moved into the second round.

    Mullen will face Littleton in the second round scheduled for Saturday at Littleton Public Schools Stadium.

    No. 29-seeded Mullen advances to face No. 13 Littleton in the second round of the Class 4A state tournament Saturday, May 12. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Wheat Ridge girls soccer nets 1st-round playoff win over Mead

    Wheat Ridge senior Macie Browne (3) scored twice Wednesday in the Farmers’ playoff opener against Mead. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    LAKEWOOD — Wheat Ridge senior Macie Browne said she was nervous for the Farmers’ Class 4A girls soccer state tournament opener Wednesday, but it really didn’t show.

    Wheat Ridge’s leading scorer put a pair goals into the back of the net at Lakewood Memorial Field to help propel the 10th-seeded Farmers to a 3-1 victory over No. 23 Mead.

    “I was really nervous,” Browne said. “Playoffs always get to you, but we were really excited to come out and play.”

    Wheat Ridge senior Rylie Pachello (15) mixes it up with Mead senior Sydney Postle just inside the Mavericks’ goalie box. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Wheat Ridge senior Kyra Midory put the Farmers up 1-0 with a late goal in the first half, but it was Browne’s goals in the 42nd and 51st minutes of the second half that put the Farmers (11-5 record) in perfect position to move onto the second round.

    Browne found herself on a breakaway one-on-one with Mead sophomore goalie Breanna Encinas in the opening minutes of the second half.

    “I saw the through ball and just knew I had to do it,” Browne said of her breakaway goal. “I was trying to stay calm. With those you just have to place them.”

    Browne did just that to make it a 2-0 game. She had a nifty move around a defender less than 10 minutes later and fired in her second goal.

    “Macie is dangerous. That is no secret,” Wheat Ridge coach Dan Watkins said of Browne who has 15 goals and 15 assists on the season. “For her to put the ball in the back of the net really settled us in and got a little more composed.”

    Wheat Ridge freshman Jessica Brummett (19) and Mead junior Riley Gilbert battle for the ball Wednesday at Lakewood Memorial Field. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

    Mead (10-6) did make things interesting in the final 20 minutes. Sophomore Maddie Muntz scored in the 59th minute to cut the lead to 3-1. It appeared the Mavericks cut it to a one-goal game in the 69th minute, but the in-direct free kick by freshman Cora Thorndike that went into the back of the net didn’t hit anything so the goal was called off.

    “We limited Mead’s (scoring) opportunities, but they work extremely hard and put pressure on you,” Watkins admitted. “It took us awhile to settle in and start knocking it around. Credit to Mead. They came out with a ton of energy.”

    Evergreen gets a familiar face in Jeffco rival and No. 7 Evergreen (11-5) in the second round. The Cougars easily handled Erie 5-1 in their playoff opener Wednesday.

    Wheat Ridge suffered a 2-1 loss to Evergreen during conference play April 12.

    “For some reason we just seem to have this Jeffco party,” Watkins said of the 4A state tournament where the Farmers have knocked out of the playoffs by conference rivals Evergreen and Valor Christian the past two years. “Peter (Evergreen coach Peter Jeans) does a great job with them. They have very talented players. We didn’t get them the first time. We would love to go out there and give us a chance to get them the second time.”

    The second-round game will be played Saturday, May 12. The time and location hasn’t been announced.

    “I’m excited to play with my team again,” Browne said of the Farmers moving on. “Hopefully our run doesn’t end. I don’t want to stop playing with all my friends.”

    Wheat Ridge senior Kyra Midroy (8) got the scoring going for the Farmers with her goal in the 35th minute. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)

  • Photos: Colorado Academy boys lacrosse upsets Rock Canyon in 5A tourney

    HIGHLANDS RANCH — No. 10 Colorado Academy knocked off No. 7 Rock Canyon in the first round of the Class 5A boys lacrosse state tournament.

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  • 3A and 5A girls tennis state tournaments changed to a two-day format

    5A girls tennis state tournament generic
    (Ryan Casey/CHSAANow.com)

    The Class 3A and Class 5A girls tennis state tournaments are being modified to a two-day format in an effort to avoid poor weather on Saturday.

    The 4A tournament remains on a three-day schedule.

    Both the 3A and 5A tournaments are slated to complete the first round and quarterfinals on Thursday, and were originally slated to be played through Saturday. However, the forecasts for both Greeley (site of 3A) and Denver (site of 5A) are showing a high chance of rain overnight on Friday, and also a high chance of rain on Saturday.

    As such, the schedule for each tournament has been modified to move the finals to Friday, following the conclusion of the semifinals and first two rounds of the playbacks. The third-place matches will also be played Friday, and a team champion will also be crowned. Semifinals for both tournaments will start at 8 a.m.

    Each tournament will remain at one site, Centennial Park in Greeley for 3A, and Gates Tennis Center for 5A.

    “We feel that we can have a very competitive and successful two-day tournament, and after looking at all the weather information available to us, we feel this is in the best interest of all the participants and the teams,” said CHSAA assistant commissioner Bethany Brookens, who oversees tennis.