Templar netters do well a state, taking fifth overall
By Matt Harris
Staff writer
10-15-2020
SALT LAKE CITY—The Manti girls’ tennis team competed in all five categories at the 3A state tournament last week.
The Lady Templars’ doubles duo of junior Talia Cluff and sophomore Emma Christensen made their way to the finals match of the 2nd Doubles category before taking second place to Grantsville. Manti finished fifth overall in the championship, the highest of all four Sanpete County teams as North Sanpete fielded representatives in all but one category, and Gunnison and Wasatch Academy brought a few competitors as well.
At 1st Singles, senior Sadie Cox knocked out Judge Memorial and Grantsville to make it to the semifinals where she lost to Rowland Hall, 6-2, 6-1. Gunnison junior Soraya Leatherwood fell in the first round to Waterford, 6-0, 6-0.
In the 2nd Singles, senior JoLee Gillett beat San Juan in the first round, but she lost in the second round, 6-1, 6-4, to Rowland Hall. Wasatch Academy senior Anna Strong fell to Maeser Prep in the first round, 6-0, 6-0. North Sanpete senior Morgan Draw fell in the first round as well to Carbon, 6-3, 7-5.
In the 3rd Singles, senior Emma Jorgensen prevailed over Carbon before falling in the second round to Rowland Hall, 6-3, 6-3. North Sanpete senior Kaylee Anderson fell to Maeser Prep in the first round, 6-2, 6-1. Wasatch Academy junior Coralie Frickle fell in the first round to Morgan, 6-0, 6-2.
In 1st Doubles, junior Libby Simons and sophomore Heidi Jorgensen beat Judge Memorial and Waterford. They then fell in the semifinals to Morgan, 6-3, 6-2. North Sanpete senior Jamie Walker and sophomore Sadie Church fell in the first round to Emery, 6-1, 6-7(10), 6-2.
Finally in the 2nd Doubles, Cluff and Christensen fought their way through Grand County, Waterford, and Morgan, to make the finals, where they fell to Grantsville, 6-2, 6-1. North Sanpete junior Natalya Benson and freshman Abri Benson beate San Juan in the first round before falling to Rowland Hall in the second round, 6-2, 6-0.
The Lady Templars finished as a team with 10 points for fifth place, while North Sanpete tied Emery and Judge Memorial for 11th place with a single point. Gunnison and Wasatch Academy did not score.
“It was a great season with some wonderful players,” Coach Todd Jorgensen told the Messenger. “I’ll greatly miss the seniors. It was a great groups of girls. The four on varsity have been on varsity for the last 3 seasons and in the case of Sadie, the last four. It’s been a joy and a pleasure to be their coach.”
