SALT LAKE CITY — There was no rest for the weary Timpview players and coaching staff Saturday afternoon at the 5A girls state tennis tournament at Liberty Park.
The Thunderbirds came in as a co-defending state champion, but only had a narrow lead entering the day and needed all of their remaining players to post victories to hold off hard-charging Woods Cross.
“We don’t care how we do it … we just want to celebrate. The girls did a great job and deserved the attention.” — Timpview coach Amber Rawle
Entering the final two matches, the T-Birds were only ahead by one point and the Wildcats’ Emma Epperson had pushed Sofie Thompson into a three-set match. At the same time, the doubles team of Rachel Brown and Anna Fellers was facing a tough match against Alta.
“We knew what was at stake and we (the coaches) were going back-and-forth to watch,” said Timpview coach Amber Rawle. “We were doing the math all day to see what we had to do, and the girls came through at the end.”
Brown and Fellers finished an undefeated season by beating Rebecca Russell and Brooklyn Dowdell of Alta to clinch the team crown, and then Rawle said she told Thompson, a sophomore who also came in undefeated.
With the pressure off, Thompson quickly responded and thrilled the crowd of Timpview fans watching with a 6-2 win in the final game to eventually give Timpview 19 points. Woods Cross finished with 14, East 10, Alta 7 and Salem Hills 6. Park City, last year’s 4A champ, tied Springville with five.
Olympus, which tied the T-Birds for the 5A crown last year, had two points.
Woods Cross was the only team that could have altered Timpview’s run to another title but, in order to change the outcome, Epperson had to defeat Thompson and Alta needed to win the No. 2 doubles match.
The last two matches were Timpview’s only individual titles, and Woods Cross was able to pressure the T-Birds, thanks to Macy Richards’ championship in No. 2 singles, and Sicely Ferreira’s run to the finals match in No. 1 singles, where she lost to East phenom Emmie Moore.
Even with six straight state championships, the T-Birds were excited to take home another trophy and show it off at the school, where plans were being made to honor the team at halftime of an upcoming football game.
“We don’t care how we do it … we just want to celebrate,” Rawle said. “The girls did a great job and deserved the attention.”
5A girls state tennis tournament
At Liberty Park
Team scores
1. Timpview, 19; 2. Woods Cross, 14; 3. East, 10; 4. Alta, 7; 5. Salem Hills, 6; 6 (tie). Park City, Springville, 5; 8 (tie), Brighton, Highland, Wasatch, 4.
Individual results
First singles
Semifinals
Sicely Ferreira (Woods Cross) def. Gwen Bryson (Timpview) 6-3, 6-2
Emmie Moore (East) def. Alysha Damron (Wasatch) 6-0, 6-2
Finals
Moore def. Ferreira 7-6 (4), 6-1
Second singles
Semifinals
Macy Richards (Woods Cross) def. Olivia Tarmina (Park City) 6-0, 6-0
Avery Pope (Timpview) def. Rebecca Schwartz (Brighton) 6-0, 7-5
Finals
Richards def. Pope 7-6 (2), 6-2
Third singles
Semifinals
Emma Epperson (Woods Cross) def. Brooklyn Thompson (Park City) 7-6 (1), 6-4
Sofie Thompson (Timpview) def. Gracie Capps (East) 6-3, 6-2
Finals
Thompson def. Epperson 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4
First doubles
Semifinals
Rachel Brown/Anna Fellers (Timpview) def. Selena Cutler/Anna Layton (Viewmont) 6-0, 6-3
Rebecca Russell/Brooklyn Dowdell (Alta) def. Aubrey Murphy/Taigely Parkinson (Timpanogos) 6-4, 6-1
Finals
Brown/Fellers def. Russell/Dowdell 6-1, 6-3
Second doubles
Semifinals
Emma Hafen/Hannah Geary (Springville) def. Lana McNaughton/Katie Henderson (Wasatch) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (6)
Emilee Nichols/Megan Mayo (Salem Hills) def. Shannon Vance/Rylie Wiscombe (Maple Mountain) 7-6 (3), 7-5
Finals - Nichols/Mayo def. Hafen/Geary 6-3, 6-1