Five local teams competed in singles and doubles competition at the Ochsner’s LHSAA State Tennis Tournament at ULM in Monroe last Thursday and Friday. For Division III and IV, the first two rounds were played on Thursday and the remaining round was completed on Friday. In Division III, St Louis Catholic won the boys’ team award and Isidore Newman finished as runner-up. In the girls team championship, Isidore Newman won the team title while University Lab was state runner-up. In Division IV, the boys title was won by Christ Episcopal School and the runner-up was shared by Ascension Episcopal and St. Martin’s Episcopal. On the girls side, Louise McGehee won the girls team competition while Christ Episcopal School was state runner-up.
Loyola boys finished third in the Division III boys team competition. The majority of the points can be credited to the state runner-up in doubles competition, Ravi Ahuja and James Graf. Ahuja and Graf came in the state tournament as the top seed in doubles. In the first round, they eliminated the duo from Jennings, Kaide Lejeune and Nicholas Rasberry 6-1 and 6-1. Second round saw a Dunham duo of Wait Harrod and Ashton Dupont which they handled 6-1 and 6-0. Day two started with St. Louis Catholic’s Carter Brinkman and Bennett Farque. Ahuja and Graf headed to the semifinals with 6-1 and 6-2 win. Semifinals faced University Lab’s Duke Stein and Noah Beamon which they won 6-3 and 6-3. The championship would have a match with the No. 2 seed Dillon Darby and Benjamin Reinauer from St. Louis Catholic. The Flyer duo fell in the finals 6-4 and 6-3. Bo Bowman, Jr and Gregor Ghali made a run to the quarterfinals eliminating doubles teams from Isidore Newman and Episcopal before being eliminated by the eventual state champions The Flyers sent two single competitors to the state tournament. Edmund Brown won over William Benoit of Welsh in the first round 6-0 and 6-0. Brown was eliminated in the second round by Jett Nguyen from Acadia Renaissance Charter. Other Loyola boys tennis competitors were in singles Matthew Hooper and doubles teams of Stephen White with Alvin Olsan.
Calvary Cavaliers had three competitors reach the second round at the state tournament. Bryce Colvin and Mason Batts won their first round match against Alex Hidenbrand and Carson Verret from E. D. White in the first round 7-5 and 6-3. The Cavalier duo fell in the second round to the Dunham team of George Harrod and Milo Johnston. In singles competition, Cayden Simmons won his first round match against Cade Scherer of Bolton 6-0 and 6-1. Simmons fell in the second round to eventual semifinalist Jackson Belcher from University Lab. Jett Lary also reached the second round in the singles competition. Lary eliminated Stephen Tujague from Northlake Christian 6-1 and 6-0 in the first round. Lary fell in the second round to Silas Lafleur from Lafayette Christian. Other competitors for the Cavaliers boy tennis team were the doubles team of Haydon Donaldson with Hudson Crager and Abram Covington and Charles Gregory.
In the Division III girls competition, Loyola single competitor Taylor Nash made a quarterfinals run. Nash took out Isidore Newman’s Francis Casbarian in the first round 7-6 and 6-2. Second round Nash eliminated Lauren Fremin from Catholic-New Iberia 6-4 and 6-4. Nash was eliminated in the quarters by E.D. White’s Joy Patten. Top-seeded Lady Flyer Mary Elberson took care of business in the first round with a 6-0 and 6-0 win over Jenning’s Madison LaVergne. Elberson came up short in three sets in the second round. In the doubles competition, Sadie Green and Addison Knox won in their first round match against Shara Johnson and Shelbi Lovejoy from Oakdale 6-4 and 6-4. Green and Knox were eliminated in the second round.
Other Loyola Lady Flyer competitors were Mae Graf with Cassidy Kirk and Audrey Dufrene and Sophia Fertita in doubles competition.
Calvary Lady Cavaliers singles competitor Annie Bickham and three doubles teams Bailey Barber with Anna Kate Lary, Lauren Lovitt with Shelby Simmons, and Molly McDowell with Emily Bennett all were eliminated in the first round.
Division IV Boys Competition saw St. Mary picked up three points in the state tournament. Top-seeded Andrew Kautz made a quarterfinal run in the single competition. Kautz started the run with a 6-0 and 6-0 sweep of Jadarius Bright from Ferriday. Kautz eliminated Max LaForge from St. Martin’s Episcopal in the second round 6-2 and 6-2. Kautz ‘run in the quarterfinals ended falling to Jesus Daiz from Houma Christian 6-2 and 6-3. Also, scoring for the Tigers was doubles team Colton Cross and Ben Bienvenu. Cross and Bienvenu won their first round match 6-2 and 7-6 against Logan Bardarson and Cohen Danos from Houma Christian. The duo fell in the second round to Britt Bass and Jake Rogers from Vermilion Catholic.
Cedar Creek picked up a couple of points based on James Black run to the quarterfinals in the state tournament. Black advanced to the second round on a forfeit by Metairie Park Country Day. Black took care of his second round opponent Shiv Panchal from Avoyelles Public Charter 6-0 and 6-0. Black was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Matthew Rhea from Christ Episcopal School 6-4 and 6-3. Anderson Maxwell also competed for the Cougars boy tennis team at the State Tournament.
St. Mary’s Lady Tigers tennis squad scored three in the team competition. Baylea Johnson reached the quarterfinals in the state tournament gaining two points for the Lady Tigers. Johnson won her first round match against Alexandra Rutlege from Christ Episcopal School 6-0 and 6-0. Johnson continued with a second round victory over Gabrielle Scott from Westminster Christian 6-0 and 6-3. Johnson fell in the quarterfinals to eventual state runner-up Colette Prokup from Louise McGehee. Also scoring for the Lady Tigers was the duo of Meredith Methvin and Anderson Kelly. Methvin and Kelly won their first round match over Catherine Costello and Corrine Naomi of Academy of Sacred Heart – Grand Cane. The St. Mary’s duo fell in the second round to Ashlyn Poirer and Ava Guidry of Ascension Episcopal.
Cedar Creek’s lone competitor in the girls competition was Margaret Gilmore. Gilmore won her first round match over Sofia Zubiate from Grace Christian 6-0 and 6-0. Gilmore was eliminated in the second round by Scout Helveston from Episcopal of Acadiana.
Choudrant also sent one team to the state tournament. Abigail Johnston and Taylor Sanderson were knocked out in the first round by No. 2 seed Jillian Devillier and Julia Zaunbrecher from St. Edmund.
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