The Vale tennis team’s (from left) assistant coach Amy Applegate, Rachel Wolfe, Maycee DeLong, Ricky Leyva, Peyton Kelso, Marco Ramirez, Japheth Carlson and head coach Paul Spivey pose for a picture at regionals. (Submitted photo)
The Vale and Nyssa tennis teams will be sending several athletes to the state championship this weekend at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
The Vale boys’ tennis team took second overall behind Baker, and the girls’ team took third behind Baker and Sherman County.
The Vikings’ No. 1 boys duo, Japheth Carlson and Marco Ramirez, will head to the state championship after sweeping all their matches and finishing in first place at the regional tournament in Kennewick, Wash. Both Carlson and Ramirez have competed at the state level before, according to head coach Paul Spivey.
Also winning all their matches, the Vikings’ top doubles duo of Rachel Wolfe and Maycee DeLong will head to the state meet. Although DeLong has made the trip to the state championship before, this will be Wolfe’s first time.
Vale’s No. 2 boys’ doubles team – Payton Kelso and Ricardo Leyva – placed fourth at the regionals and also will head to Corvallis.
Meanwhile, the Nyssa tennis team finished “with some historic results” for the school at regionals, according to head coach Kenneth Blanchard.
“Nyssa will be sending multiple players in multiple disciplines for the first time this year,” Blanchard said.
The Bulldogs’ top boys doubles team of Wyatt Jensen and Deardon Woodruff finished third overall and will go to state.
Chloe Richards, Nyssa’s top girls’ singles player, “swept all three of her matches, all in three-set marathons,” beating both No. 1 seeds from each subdistrict, and is “on her way to the first ever girls championship in school history,” Blanchard said.
“Chloe has an unbelievable calmness and mindset. Nothing seems to rattle her,” Blanchard said. “In all three of her matches she fell behind early and battled back to win.”
Kristine de Leon: [email protected] or 541-473-3377.
Nyssa’s top singles player Chloe Richards is heading to the state championships after placing first at regionals last week. (Submitted photo)
Nyssa’s top doubles team of Deardon Woodruff and Wyatt Jensen pose with their coaches after finishing third at regionals. The duo will also compete at state championships. (Submitted photo)
Vale’s Japheth Carlson returns the ball during practice. (Photo by Meshell Schaffeld)
Vale’s Alexis Schaffeld gets ready to return the ball. (Photo by Meshell Schaffeld)
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