A week after playing in the north regional tournament, the Powell High School tennis teams showed improvement at the state tournament in Gillette over the weekend. The girls’ squad finished eighth as a team, while the boys finished 11th overall.

Overall, the team won more individual matches at the state tournament than regionals.

“We came out and knew it was our last crack at the season, and we really just played well and up to potential,” PHS head coach Joe Asay said. “It was a good tournament for the kids, and we saw a lot of improvement.”

In No. 1 girls’ singles, Ashley Dunkerley lost to Central’s Emily Needham, but rebounded with a three-set win over Rawlins’ Darby Thayer before being eliminated.

Sami Cole cruised to a first-round win in No. 2 singles, defeating Abbie Erramouspe of Rock Springs in two sets. Cole lost the next round and won one more in the consolation bracket after that.

The No. 1 doubles pairing of Sydnee Thompson and Sophe Morrow fell to a duo from Central in round one. Thompson and Morrow won over their opponents in their first consolation match before losing the next contest.

Whitney Hull and Chase Anderson defeated the No. 2 doubles team from Rock Springs 6-0, 7-5 in their first matchup before falling to a squad from Central. That duo won two matches in the consolation
ladder before falling in the consolation semifinals.

In the No. 3 doubles division, Kaili Wisniewski and Lila Asay lost in the first round but bounced back with a win over Cheyenne South’s pairing. They lost in their next consolation match to Thunder Basin, 6-4, 6-0.

For the boys, junior and No. 1 singles player Ethan Bartholomew lost to Justin VanKirk of Central 7-5, 6-2. He earned a win over Rawlins’ Spencer Searle before his elimination.

Aiden Chandler won his first-round matchup in No. 2 singles, defeating Central’s Kellen Flowers 6-2, 6-3. He lost his next match to the eventual state champion, Jackson Catchpole of Kelly Walsh. He won one consolation match before falling to consolation champion CJ Dominick of Cody.

The No. 1 doubles squad of Logan Brown and Kolt Flores earned a win over their opponents from Central in the first round in two sets before losing to a duo from Kelly Walsh High School. They picked up one more win in consolation before falling again.

CJ Barrus and Ryan Cordes lost 6-3, 6-0 to their Green River-based opponents in the No. 2 doubles first round. They did not play in the consolation ladder.

In No. 3 doubles, Kalin Hicswa and Wesley Preator lost in the first round but bounced back with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Rock Springs in their first consolation contest. Their tournament came to an end against a squad from Jackson in the subsequent consolation match.

Five senior girls will graduate this spring, but other than that, the team will return every player from the 2020 varsity squad next year. Having so many experienced players coming back excites coach Asay about the program’s future.

“The experience of competing at state and regionals adds to ability,” coach Asay said. “We finished the season with kids ready to keep getting out on the court. Every opportunity to take the court moves them closer to being really competitive.”