Post by The Admin on May 13, 2020 12:56:19 GMT -6
Virus shortens tennis season, but Lawton schools still enjoy success before quarantine
www.swoknews.com/sports/virus-shortens-tennis-season-but-lawton-schools-still-enjoy-success-before-quarantine/article_62729b0c-54fb-5445-bdff-3361fc303419.html
www.swoknews.com/sports/virus-shortens-tennis-season-but-lawton-schools-still-enjoy-success-before-quarantine/article_62729b0c-54fb-5445-bdff-3361fc303419.html
For all spring sports teams, the 2020 season will always have a “what if?” asterisk next to it.
Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, teams from Eisenhower, Duncan and Altus might have been making return trips to their respective state tournaments this weekend and next. Perhaps MacArthur and Lawton High would have had made strides and made a run at regionals and perhaps state.
But alas, those results exist only in an alternate reality. In this reality, the teams played their last matches on the second weekend of March, which was actually later than other teams (notably the big-school basketball teams whose state tournament games were canceled that Thursday). Eisenhower coach Hannah Mentel said she was sad to see the season cut short, but still proud of what the team accomplished in the early stages of the season.
“They put in a lot of hard work into improving themselves individually and also building each other up as a team,” Mentel said. “They started out strong and no doubt would have continued to have a great season. They represent themselves, Eisenhower and Lawton well.”
Back on March 3, all three Lawton schools participated in the Lawton Tennis Festival, which featured several schools from Southwest and Western Oklahoma, as well as two from Texas. Eisenhower’s Jacob Phelps placed first in No. 1 boys singles, while Josh Phelps placed second in 2 boys singles. It was Jacob’s second 1st-place finish in as many days, after taking first in the boys No. 1 singles competition at the JC Perkins Tournament in Duncan.
Another singles champion from Ike was junior Genevieve Young, who topped Lawton High’s Ivette Sarabia in the semis en route to the girls No. 1 crown. Sarabia fell to MacArthur’s Abbie Albert in the third-place match. Yet another Phelps, Hannah, placed second in girls No. 2, while the team of Casey Ngo and Aldo Hernandez took home first place in boys No. 1 doubles, holding off MacArthur’s tandem of Alex and Ethan Weaver in the semifinals. The Weavers beat the Lawton High duo of Isom and Wilson for third.
In all, Ike finished second in both the girls and boys team scores, as Elk City took first in both. Lawton High took third place in the boys, followed by MacArthur in fourth. The Wolverines took fourth in the girls, while Mac tied with Wichita Falls (TX) Hirschi for fifth.
The next week, on March 12, Eisenhower went to the Altus Bi-State Tournament, where the Ike girls took first place. Young once again placed first in No. 1 girls singles, while Hannah Phelps took first in No. 2 singles. Jacob Phelps took first in No. 1 singles while Josh Phelps took first place in No. 2 singles.
While that would be the last weekend of tournaments for 2020, there is still hope. With rosters littered with talented underclassmen, the future appears to be bright for the LPS tennis programs going forward.
Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, teams from Eisenhower, Duncan and Altus might have been making return trips to their respective state tournaments this weekend and next. Perhaps MacArthur and Lawton High would have had made strides and made a run at regionals and perhaps state.
But alas, those results exist only in an alternate reality. In this reality, the teams played their last matches on the second weekend of March, which was actually later than other teams (notably the big-school basketball teams whose state tournament games were canceled that Thursday). Eisenhower coach Hannah Mentel said she was sad to see the season cut short, but still proud of what the team accomplished in the early stages of the season.
“They put in a lot of hard work into improving themselves individually and also building each other up as a team,” Mentel said. “They started out strong and no doubt would have continued to have a great season. They represent themselves, Eisenhower and Lawton well.”
Back on March 3, all three Lawton schools participated in the Lawton Tennis Festival, which featured several schools from Southwest and Western Oklahoma, as well as two from Texas. Eisenhower’s Jacob Phelps placed first in No. 1 boys singles, while Josh Phelps placed second in 2 boys singles. It was Jacob’s second 1st-place finish in as many days, after taking first in the boys No. 1 singles competition at the JC Perkins Tournament in Duncan.
Another singles champion from Ike was junior Genevieve Young, who topped Lawton High’s Ivette Sarabia in the semis en route to the girls No. 1 crown. Sarabia fell to MacArthur’s Abbie Albert in the third-place match. Yet another Phelps, Hannah, placed second in girls No. 2, while the team of Casey Ngo and Aldo Hernandez took home first place in boys No. 1 doubles, holding off MacArthur’s tandem of Alex and Ethan Weaver in the semifinals. The Weavers beat the Lawton High duo of Isom and Wilson for third.
In all, Ike finished second in both the girls and boys team scores, as Elk City took first in both. Lawton High took third place in the boys, followed by MacArthur in fourth. The Wolverines took fourth in the girls, while Mac tied with Wichita Falls (TX) Hirschi for fifth.
The next week, on March 12, Eisenhower went to the Altus Bi-State Tournament, where the Ike girls took first place. Young once again placed first in No. 1 girls singles, while Hannah Phelps took first in No. 2 singles. Jacob Phelps took first in No. 1 singles while Josh Phelps took first place in No. 2 singles.
While that would be the last weekend of tournaments for 2020, there is still hope. With rosters littered with talented underclassmen, the future appears to be bright for the LPS tennis programs going forward.