Lady Raiders capture Conference Tournament

By Kevin Jenkins | September 28, 2012 |

POTOSI —Only three points separated the top three teams at the end of a rain-delayed MAAA Conference Tennis Tournament on Thursday. The North County Lady Raiders may have salvaged their best results of the 2012 MAAA season as they claimed the Tournament title with a score of 19 points.

Fredericktown and Farmington placed second and third with 17 and 16 points. With the exception of two third-place finishes by Potosi the three teams captured every first through third place in the nine divisions. Fredericktown’s Savanna Talley played six matches to place first in the heavily-packed Junior Varsity Tournament.

North County claimed five first-place finishes by its players, and Farmington and Frederickown had two each, but made up for it with several second place results.

The match of the day boiled down to the No. 4 singles first-place match between North County’s Buse Beker and Fredericktown’s Myranda Shafer. The match took on special significance as it became the last match of the day, and with a light rainfall making play a little treacherous, the two girls were delayed another 40 minutes to wait for the wet courts to be playable with the cloud-hidden sun setting in the process.

Play stopped with Shafer holding a 5-4 edge, but when it continued, Beker knotted up the score by winning the already in progress game. Beker broke Shafer’s serve for the lead, but Shafer broke right back to take the advantage at 7-6, needing only a win in the next game to claim the match. With strong shots to the outer lines, Beker held serve and then took the advantage at 8-7 for her chance to close out the match. She did it, winning the last two points after a 30-30 score for a 9-7 win.

Farmington’s Morgan Smith was the supreme singles winner as she won first-place at No. 1 with an 8-3 triumph over North County’s Miranda Maeys. Fredericktown’s Anna Kisner placed third.

Maeys and partner Cheyenne Anderson were the superior team in No. 1 doubles as they edged out Smith and Anna Slinkard 8-6. Shafer and Courtney Holliday were the third-place winners for Fredericktown.

Beker’s No. 2 doubles team with Molly McBride also claimed first place as they won out over Bryson Starkey and Mikaela Tremaine of Fredericktown. Amanda Brady and Kayle Nephew took third for Farmington.

The Knightettes’ team of Joannie Leach and Jennifer Henson placed first in No. 3 doubles with an 8-5 win over Haley Holliday and Kaila Pinkley of Fredericktown. Carly Pashia and Lilly Stringer gained Potosi’s first point. Stringer would win a second point for the Lady Trojans in her No. 6 singles. Arcadia Valley was shut out over their nine matches.

The Lady Raiders also won the No. 2 and 3 singles with the Lady Cats taking first in No. 5 and 6.

The Lady Raiders are currently in third place in the conference regular season, and they are waiting for a make-up to be played by Farmington and Fredericktown, which will decide if all three teams tie for the conference championship or if Fredericktown will win it outright.

Tournament Results (1st-3rd)

Singles —

1. Morgan Smith (FA) def. Miranda Maeys (NC), 8-3; 3rd. Anna Kisner (FR).

2. Cheyenne Anderson (NC) def. Courtney Holliday (FR), 8-5; 3rd. Anna Slinkard (FA).

3. Molly McBride (NC) def. Amanda Brady (FA), 8-4; 3rd. Bryson Starkey (FR).

4. Buse Beker (NC) def. Myranda Shafer (FR), 9-7; 3rd. Kalye Nephew (FA) .

5. Haley Holliday (FR) def. Rachel LaMarr (NC), 8-2; 3rd. Joannie Leach (FA).

6. Mikaela Tremaine (FR) def. Jennifer Henson (FA), 8-0; 3rd. Lilly Stringer (P).

Doubles —

1. Maeys/Anderson (NC) def. Smith/Slinkard, 8-6; 3rd. Shafer/C Holliday(FR).

2. McBride/Beker (NC) def. Starkey/Tremaine, 8-3; 3rd. Brady/Nephew (FA).

3. Leach/Henson (FA) def. H. Holliday and Kayla Pinkley (FR), 8-5; 3rd. Carly Pashia/Stringer (P)