Published: September 22, 2008 11:17 am      

Duncan acquits itself well in tennis tourney

Demon netters claim top honors in both boys’ and girls’ divisions

DUNCAN — The Duncan tennis team is ready to go into hibernation for the winter.

Demon netters wrapped up the summer campaign by capturing several first-place trophies in the First Bank & Trust Fall Junior Open. Each member of the team was required to participate in five tournaments during the summer, and strides were made in preparation for the upcoming spring campaign.

“I think all of them have gotten better,” Duncan coach Phil Barnes said. “This is kind of the tournament they finish up on. Even when you are playing a Duncan kid, you are going to get better in a match that matters.”

In the boys’ 14 singles division, it was much more than a case of Duncan against Duncan, it was brother against brother with Nathan Street defeating brother Zachary Street 6-1, 6-2.

Zachary reached the finals by defeating Justin Bailey 6-2, 6-3 and Tyler Ashburn 3-6, 6-3 (10-7). Nathan started the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Ryan Robinson and advanced into the finals on a withdrawal.

“Zachary should have been playing in the 12-year-old division,” Barnes said. “He had two upsets to reach the finals.”

Nic Zinn had the strongest showing for Duncan in the boys’ 16 division, advancing to the semifinals with a 6-0, 6-1 win over teammate Bryan Young before falling to Omar Karim 6-0, 6-0. Blake Bartlett won his first match over teammate Carter Jones 6-1, 6-3 but also fell to Karim 6-0, 6-1. Jones would go on to claim runner-up in the consolation bracket falling to Scroggins 6-2, 6-2 after defeating Young 6-0, 0-6 (11-9).

Davis Loafman also broke out of the first round in a 7-5, 6-1 win over Jared Scroggins before falling to Elijah Whiteeagle 6-1, 6-2.

Duncan’s Bryan Duell captured first place in the boys’ 18 division, defeating teammate Bradley Toone 6-2, 6-2. Duell defeated teammate Landon Jones in the semifinals 6-1, 6-1. Jones had opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Blake Bartlett. Toone advanced to the finals in a 6-3, 6-1 win over Don Ashburn.

In the girls’ 12 division, Carly Kirkland won the consolation trophy in a 4-6, 6-4 (10-4) win over teammate Jordan Clauson. Marisa Moore defeated Clauson 6-2, 6-4 to break out of the first round where she then fell to Elisabeth Hillis 6-2, 6-0.

The girls’ 14 division was an all-Duncan affair with Samantha Cassidy taking first place honors in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Rebekah Fulton. Cassidy opened with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Sydney Hendricks who had defeated Angel Gordon 6-2, 6-0.

Fulton defeated Autumn Gordon 6-2, 7-5 to reach the finals. Autumn defeated Angel 6-1, 6-3 to capture consolation.

The most competitive bracket was in the girls’ 16 with 11 competing for championship honors. Kelsey Lavalley took runner-up honors, falling to Alisa Friel-Watanabe 6-1, 6-3. Lavalley received a bye in the first round and defeated teammate Taylor Spradlin 5-7, 6-0 (10-3) quarterfinals and teammate Taylor Gardner 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals.

Spradlin picked up a first round win over Lindsay Johnson 6-1, 6-3 and Gardner opened with a first round win over teammate Alyssa Rue 6-2, 6-0 and followed up with a quarterfinal win over Shauna Beach 6-4, 6-3.

Brittany Toone was a semifinalist in the other half of the bracket, defeating teammate Abigail Hooker 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals before falling to Friel-Wantanabe 6-1, 6-0. Sarah Fulton opened the tournament with a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Friel-Watanabe.

Fulton also fell to Lexie Maytubby 6-1, 6-0 in consolation and Hooker dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Maytubby. Beach defeated Rue 6-3, 6-2 before falling to Johnson 6-3, 6-2.

Melanie Barnes captured first place in the girls’ 18 division, defeating Samantha Street 6-1, 6-2. Barnes reached the finals with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Haley Hartzell. Kate Levalley opened the tournament with an 8-6, 6-3 win over Taylor Spradlin before falling to Street 3-6, 6-2 (10-8). Hartzell won the consolation trophy with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Spradlin.