While certain Utah County tennis teams lost some top talent at the end of last season, that doesn't necessarily translate into all bad news for the valley squads. Several leading competitors over the past few years took their trophies and their games with them into graduation.
That doesn't necessarily mean the Utah County schools are odds-on favorites for state titles, especially in 5A action, but the Orem Tigers are roaring in the early going and have made serious plans to grab a repeat of last year's state championship. But this time they don't want to share, they want the title all on their own.
While Orem was the only valley school to grab a team title last year, three individuals took home first place trophies with freshman Callie Craig in No. 2 singles for the Tigers and her twin sister Kelsie in No. 3 singles.
Timpanogos sophomore Rachel Clarke snagged the only Utah County 5A crown with a No. 3 singles victory. And all three girls are returning for more action this year, though they have all moved up a notch or two.
Timpview's No. 2 singles star Grace Collins is also returning for another season with a state second place finish under her belt.
Yes, there are still definite favorites when the state tournament rolls around, but as was proven with some incredible upsets last year, anything can happen when the girls get to Liberty Park.
Region 7
Though Orem tennis lost one of their three Craig sisters last year, it still has the twin trophy holders who are now sophomores. Callie has moved up into the first singles slot for the Tigers and is still a solid favorite for bringing home a title. Younger sister Kelsie is also a definite favorite in her new second singles position.
The team doesn't lose much in Andie Young, who'll take over in the third singles spot for the Tigers and is a state favorite as well. The doubles teams are a little inexperienced aside from first doubles competitor Courtney Kezerian, but she and partner Candice Gurr are still solid for Orem as are second doubles team C.C. Hawkins and Abby Stubbs. In all, the Tigers are looking to rocket through region without so much as blinking an eye.
Orem coach Lynsi Pearson says her singles players have all made solid improvements since last year, but her doubles are still going through growing pains.
"They need to get used to each other, feed off each others' strengths," said Pearson, who really wants her team to snag the state trophy solo this year.
They will be somewhat challenged by a tough Timpview squad this season, which is returning some nice players from the past couple of years. Tia Tickamyer has been recovering from a minor wrist injury but plans to be there in not only the region competition but state as well. She, along with most of the county's top singles players, has been running the tournament circuit in the off-season, improving her game and her mental grit, according to Timpview coach Michelle Landers.
Collins is in the second singles spot for the T-Birds, and as she snagged second place in the state tournament in that same spot last year, should do well again.
Jessica Farnsworth will play third singles and has doubles experience from last season. The three will be joined by Elizabeth Harrison and Markell Harmon at first doubles and Maggie Brown and Michelle Jaynes at second doubles.
Springville, another team that fields a tough varsity squad, will be led at first singles by Jamie Bankhead, who was in Uruguay last year with her father, who was a mission president there, but she's back and ready to play.
"She's a consistent grind-it-out player, not a lot of power but wears her opponents down," said Springville coach Michael Cronquist.
His other singles spots are in flux, with Ashley Kroneberger and Danielle Gunn fighting for the two spots. Carolina Garrido, Courtney Smith, Aubrey Fox and Tess Alleman make up the rest of the varsity squad.
The Payson Lions will be led by high-risk power player McKenzie Stevens, who is "a tremendous athlete though she's only been playing tennis for a couple of years," said Payson coach Steve Fillerup.
She'll be joined by Elisa Lewis and Joquelle Dansie at the other singles spots and Chloe Lawson, DeBryn Saunders, Hannah Pullen and Justine Christensen at doubles.
Unlike the Orem, Timpview and Springville teams, Payson, Mountain View and Provo are young, inexperienced and going through some growing pains. Tooele could come in with a solid team and sneak into a fourth-place region finish.
Mountain View has had some success at first doubles with Elena Pierce and Berklee Baum, who are a pretty good pair, according to Bruins' coach Will Mueler. But the rest of the squad is trying to learn the ropes.
The Bruins will be relying on Genevieve Pierce, Henriette Dieker and Chelsea Dean for singles and Jennie Allred and Miranda McKell at the other doubles spot.
While Provo might once again be the weakest team in the region and coach Peter Tuitupou notes that the Bulldogs are in rebuilding mode, the team does have exciting Tessa Washburn at its top singles spot. Washburn hangs right in there with the best of them and should not only throw scares into the top singles players at region but at state as well.
Inexperience surrounds her as Katie Morgan, Josephine Kelemen, Jane Orton, Kynsi Rife, Ivette Morales and Christina Gaddis will play the other varsity positions.
Region 4
Lone Peak is expected to make another run at state tourney points and a Region 4 title despite losing nine of its top 12 players to graduation last year.
Lindsey Bohne will be returning and moving into the first singles spot, and Bethany Johnson will be stepping up from third singles into the No. 2 position.
"They are a lot stronger this year. Bohne has been playing in tourneys, has done what I wanted her to do and made improvements. Johnson just came back from injury," said Lone Peak coach John Lacognata, who noted that Johnson also lost in the state finals last year in the three spot.
Camryn Call brings plenty of athleticism to this year's third singles spot, and the doubles teams of Bailee Henneman, Jordan Ricks, Mindy Wong and Kristen Call are solid and mentally tough.
While the Knights have high hopes of repeating as region champs and doing well at state, Lacognata brings some realism into Utah County's state tournament situation when he says, "teams should load up at doubles because it's going to be tough to beat Alta's singles players."
Spanish Fork is second on the Utah County list, though they lost a heartbreaker to Timpanogos in the early going. The T-Wolves' Clarke knocked off the Dons' first singles player in Rachel Reid in perhaps the biggest shocker of the early season, leading the Wolves to a victory over favored Spanish Fork.
"Reid is playing pretty well right now. She's stronger physically and stronger mentally," said Spanish Fork coach Scott Dunn, who was really looking forward to the season until Reid's twin sister Rebekah was lost for the year with a major shoulder injury.
Now the Dons will count on Kelley Argyle at second singles, Braquelle Burnett at third singles, Alex Argyle and Danielle Jones at first doubles and Pam McConnell and Lea Gereling at second doubles.
Timpanogos is looking to Clarke, who is making the biggest step up from third singles to first singles, but T-Wolves' coach Suzy Hansgen says, "she's prepped well for it. It's a different ballgame at first singles."
She'll be joined at singles by a former doubles stronghold in Heather Jackman and Ashli Duke, whom she says wanted a shot at playing singles this season. The pair went undefeated at region last season and lost in the semis at state.
Taylor Thomas, Shayla Gibb, Lauren Craig and Jenny Hanson will join the team in the doubles spots.
Pleasant Grove coach Russ Mayo says his team set a goal to be region champs. With only two returning varsity players, it will be a difficult goal to reach, but his team is determined to try behind first singles player Megan Sparks and second singles player Tessa Sheffield. They're joined by first-year third singles player Arika Wilson, who Mayo says is the most athletic girl on the team. Madison Jorgensen, softball pitcher Torrey Best, Gentry Robinson and Janelle Matheny finish out the doubles squad.
Lehi's growing program will be led in first singles by Jessica Rowley, who Lehi coach Gig Griffith says is practicing her serve and volley. But the team lost seven varsity players off of last year's team and is very inexperienced.
Kelsey Christofferson, Whitney Rios, Haley Roberts, Melissa Bancroft, Alix Sampson and Reta Ray round out the team.
"I want to teach them to play above their level," said Griffith, who is working hard with the young squad.
American Fork's program is also still in rebuilding mode but its coach Angela Parker has high hopes for its future.
"We've got a lot of young talent," said Parker, but the key word there might be young as seven of the team's top eight players are either freshmen or sophomores.
Sophomore Alyson Jeffery will lead the Cavemen into the fray at first singles, followed by Braelynn Barron and Shydi Norton at the other singles spots. Kelsie Stilson, Taylor Jeffery, Malinda Featherstone, Leigh Mulliner and Ariel Bezzant round things off.
Coaches' picks
Region 4
1 — Lone Peak
2 — Spanish Fork
3 — Timpanogos
4 — Pleasant Grove
5 — Lehi
6 — American Fork
Region 7
1 — Orem
2 — Timpview
3 — Springville
4 — Tooele
5 — Payson
6 — Mountain View
7 — Provo
E-mail: jolsen@desnews.com