(From left) Samkutty, Casey, St. Clair, and McGinnis pose with their prizes after playing in the finals of the Pre-District Doubles Tennis Tournament.
Samkutty, Casey Win First Pre-District Girl’s Doubles
Tennis Tournament
PORTLAND, Oregon (May 3, 2011) – The doubles team of Madeline Samkutty, 14, and Rachel Casey, 15, beat Kelsey McGinnis and Meredith St. Clair, both 17, to capture the Pre-District Girl’s Doubles Tennis Tournament title, held at Portland Athletic Club (PAC) last weekend, April 29-May 1.
Samkutty and Casey fought their way to the finals by defeating Abby Farrell, 17, and Hannah Anderson, 16, in a riveting three-set semifinal match. In the consolation draw, the doubles team of Arielle Bradford, 18, and Jacqueline Sheridan, 15, topped Karlee Hight, 18 and Hayley Burns, 17 to become consolation champions.
Scheduled between the end of the regular season and the beginning of district play, this tournament was designed to help high school players sharpen their skills and survey their competition. It was a non-sanctioned USTA event, so coaching was allowed.
“With the high school tennis season already so short, teams so large, and weather so poor this time of year, some kids are playing only a few matches leading up to their district and state tournaments,” tournament director and PAC head tennis professional, Anthony Blackburn, said. “I created this tournament to provide more match-play opportunity for these kids, without affecting their ranking with the USTA or their standing on their high school teams.”
This was PAC’s second high school tournament this year, the first being the High School Kick-Off Tennis Tournament, held March 4-6. According to Blackburn, the Kick-Off Tournament was a great success, with over 50 high school players from all over the Portland and surrounding areas competing. Coaching was allowed in both tournaments, giving the players a more accurate high school match scenario. Blackburn wishes all the participants good luck in their upcoming district and state matches.
To acquire the full tournament results, visit www.portlandathleticclub.net/tennis_academy.asp or call the Portland Athletic Club at 503-292-2649.
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