Individual and doubles action of both boys’ and girls’ First Region Tennis wrapped up Thursday afternoon after a loaded week of competitive matches. In the end, it proved to be the most local schools that came out victorious, with McCracken representatives taking home both girls’ trophies and Paducah Tilghman players capturing each boys’ titles.
Starting over on the girls’ side, McCracken County senior Sophie Hollowell clinched her fourth consecutive First Region Girls’ Singles title with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over St. Mary’s Olivia O’Neill. Hollowell took down three other opponents along the way to the championship match, defeating Graves County’s Roxie Wilson, St. Mary’s Nora Flint, and Paducah Tilghman’s Christian Anderson.
Two more Lady Mustangs were crowned as champions in the doubles’ play. The duo of Cassidy Parker and Alexis Poore were near perfect all week, winning 6-0, 6-0 over Grave’s County’s Lydia Bradley and Albany O’Neill; 6-0, 6-0 over Calloway County’s Avyn Bazzell and Karlyn Provine; 6-1, 6-0 over Mayfield’s Joey Grace Sutla and Tyler Sloan. All of those led them to clinching the title in a 6-0, 6-1 win over Blue Tornado duo Christian Anderson and Maddie Duwe.
Whitson McNeill represented Paducah Tilghman well once again with his second straight boys’ singles title. His run to the podium consisted of several tight matches this week, including a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victory in the semifinals over St. Mary’s Henry Wright and a 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 win over McCracken’s Luke Braboy in the championship match.
In boys’ doubles, TJ Duwe and Leyton Morris from Paducah Tilghman defeated duo Asher Shanks and Hayden Taylor from McCracken in the title bout to cap off their championship run. In order, they won their matches (6-0, 6-1), (6-1, 6-0), (6-2, 6-2), and (6-2, 5-7, 10-8).
All champions and the runners-up will represent western Kentucky in Lexington starting May 27.