The Powell High School tennis team played its first postseason event over the weekend, with north regional matches held in Cody and Powell.

Both the boys and girls took seventh place in the eight-team field, with Kelly Walsh High School of Casper winning both of the regional crowns.

None of the PHS players won their first-round matches, but several picked up wins in the consolation bracket.

Though the team saw mixed results, PHS head tennis coach Joe Asay still saw the positives of playing in the event.

“I think the key is for them to just embrace and be excited about the opportunity to compete,” Asay said of his players. “There’s so much value in match play, and even though we didn’t get as many wins as we wanted, there’s a lot to be said about the opportunity to compete.”

In girls’ No. 1 singles, Ashley Dunkerley fell 6-2, 6-1, against Jackson Hole’s Chatham Hyla and then 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 to Cody’s Raegan Staggs.

After falling to Cody’s Anna Brenner in the first round, 6-2, 7-6, No. 2 singles player Sami Cole bounced back by beating Thunder Basin’s Briana Ketchum 6-2, 6-1. That earned a rematch with Brenner, who took the consolation championship 6-2, 7-5.

The No. 1 doubles team of Sophe Morrow and Sydnee Thompson fell to Sheridan 6-2, 6-4 and 7-5, 6-2 to Thunder Basin in their consolation match.

Whitney Hull and Chase Anderson dropped their first match to Jackson Hole’s No. 2 doubles squad of Kathleen Wylie and Olivia Webb, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. However, Hull and Anderson rebounded with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Campbell County and then beat Sheridan’s Samantha Dillon/Laurin Jensen 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Facing Jackson’s Webb and Wylie again in the consolation finals, Anderson and Hull fell in another close match, 6-4, 7-5.

In No. 3 doubles, Lila Asay and Kaili Wisniewski dropped their first-round match 6-3, 6-1 to Cody’s Tashi Mathuin/Sarah Andre. The duo then picked up a 7-5, 6-2 win against Campbell County’s No. 3 squad but fell to Thunder Basin the next round, 6-0, 6-0.

For the boys, Ethan Bartholomew lost his first match against Campbell County’s Tanner Lemm 6-2, 6-0. He won 6-2, 6-1 over Thunder Basin’s Matt Mobley in the consolation ladder before Sheridan’s Reed Rabon eliminated him, 6-1, 6-1.

Aiden Chandler took his first-round opponent, Adam Olsen of Jackson Hole, to three sets in No. 2 singles before eventually falling 4-6, 6-4, 0-6. Chandler took care of business against Natrona County’s Bridger Myers, 6-1, 6-0, before losing to Thunder Basin’s Carson Hansen 7-6, 6-3.

Powell’s No. 1 boys’ doubles team, Logan Brown and Kolt Flores, fell 6-3, 6-3 to Jackson Hole’s George Gervais and Jackson Santamauro and to Sheridan 6-0, 6-2.

At the No. 2 division, CJ Barrus and Ryan Cordes lost to Campbell County’s Jason Fink/Logan Dymond 6-2, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-2 to Sheridan.

And in No. 3 doubles, Wesley Preator and Kalin Hicswa lost 6-1, 6-2 to Jarett Hoy/Kevin Woodrow of Sheridan then 6-4, 6-1 to Thunder Basin’s No. 3 team.

The varsity squads will wrap up their 2020 seasons this weekend with the state tournament in Gillette. Matches will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Asay hopes his players can stay mentally tough, regardless of the score.

“When we walk out on the court, the expectation is to win,” the coach said. “I’ve been really trying to work on keeping them positive and encouraging. The last point doesn’t matter; it’s about the next point.”