Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

In both boys' and girls' divisions, tennis is simply one of the most successful sports in Sequim High athletics.

This year is no different.

At the Olympic League tourney in Bremerton on May 8-9, the Wolves' girls squad swept the top four doubles positions and, with

Stacy Hanson advancing in the singles brackets, takes nine athletes to the West Central District meet, May 22-23 at Auburn High School.

Kyla Hall and Blaire Maloney took top honors as the Olympic League's No. 1 doubles team out of a 15-team bracket, going 4-0. They are followed by: Diana Earl and Angela Richards (No. 2), Caihley Baker and Mary Cherrett (No. 3) and Katrina Chan and Jennifer Lancheros (No. 4).

Sequim's cadre of nine boys tennis players who qualified for the postseason after their fall season joins the girls squad at districts.

Qualifying for the district tourney are league doubles champs Reed Gunstone and Mallory Maloney (state qualifiers in 2008); Robbie Blenk and Alex Lamb (No. 4 doubles); Michael Lee and Greg Robinson (No. 5 doubles); No. 2 singles seed Ettore Scudo; No. 4 singles seed Waylon Lam; and No. 5 singles seed Michael Richards.

Sequim girls' coach Mark Textor said the key to the Wolves' girls' success this season - a perfect 11-0 league mark heading into a May 12 match-up with Port Angeles - is all about leadership.

"A big key was we had a lot of seniors," Textor said. "We had eight seniors. They set the tone in practice every day and ... are determined to win. It's a fun good group to be around."

Textor praised senior Cherrett in particular, one of eight senior varsity players.

Hall and Maloney battled their way to the class 2A state tourney last year, finishing 1-2 and one win from the medal stand. Richards has qualified for districts twice (2007, 2008) as a singles player.

In 2007, when Sequim went on to win the class 2A girls tennis team title, the Wolves swept the top three doubles berths to state. But a district rule banning single schools from usurping all three berths forced the Wolves' No. 3 team - one that included freshman Kyla Hall - to stay home.

The top three girls and top four boys singles players and doubles teams from districts play at the 2A state tournament, set for May 29-30 at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.



Reach Michael Dashiell at miked@sequimgazette.com.