The tennis coaches are doing something right at Green Canyon High School, and coach Camille Jeppson watched Saturday as her team won their second straight 4A girls state title.
The Wolves won championships in three of five divisions, and reached the title match in the others.
Led by twins Liz and Emma Murri, Green Canyon rolled up 60 points to double their southern Utah rivals Dixie (32), Crimson Cliffs (29) and Desert Hills (26). Cache County rival Ridgeline finished in fifth place with 23 points.
“When you’re the defending champion, you know everyone else is looking up at you, and you have to work twice as hard,” said Jeppson.
Jeppson was uncertain why her 6-year-old school has risen to the top of the 4A ranks so quickly, while also dealing with much colder winter weather than the other 4A region nearly 400 miles south.
“We’re a team and our girls work hard,” she said. “The players cheer for each other and we get a lot of help. Our boys teams are good, too, and they help each other. I often see them practice against each other and it was great to see some of them here cheering for us today.”
They had a lot of reasons to cheer.
Green Canyon scored 21 points in last year’s state tournament, which doubled the second-place finisher. Under this year’s new UHSAA scoring format, the Wolves earned nearly the maximum points in all five divisions to make the score look more convincing.
Jeppson said she wasn’t worried after all of her players advanced to semifinals Thursday, but admitted she was mostly concerned about watching her daughter, Tori Jeppson, who joined with Olivia Phillips to comfortably roll past each of their opponents and earn first place in No. 1 doubles.
“She’s a freshman, so this is her first (time),” coach Jeppson said. “We’ll expect more out of her now.”
In the meantime, Green Canyon relied on the Murri sisters, who are juniors and will be back next year to make the Wolves a contender again. Liz Murri advanced to the finals in No. 2 singles before losing to Dixie’s Fiona Fackrell in straight sets. Emma Murri, meanwhile, bounced Bailey Speakman of Crimson Cliffs in the semifinals, and then downed Luz Perez Spencer of Ridgeline.
Dixie’s Kylie Kezos captured the individual crown in No. 1 singles, beating another talented Green Canyon athlete — Bailey Huebner — in a long match, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.
Class 4A State Tournament
Team Scores
- Green Canyon, 60
- Dixie, 32
- Crimson Cliffs, 29
- Desert Hills, 26
- Ridgeline, 23
- Snow Canyon, 13
First singles
Play-in matches (Oct. 7)
- No. 8 Romy Niederhauser, Sky View def. No. 9 Sophia Parson, Cedar
- No. 4 Maggie Crosby, Snow Canyon def. No. 13 Emily Loveless, Hurricane
- No. 5 Sara White, Desert Hills def. No. 12 Anna Bindrup, Mountain Crest
- No. 7 Angela Zhan, Logan def. No. 10 Katiejo Litchford, Bear River
- No. 6 Ellie Carlston, Ridgeline def. No. 11 Emma Farish, Pine View
Quarterfinals (Oct. 7)
- No. 1 Kylie Kezos, Dixie def. No. 8 Romy Niederhauser, Sky View, 6-0, 6-1
- No. 4 Maggie Crosby, Snow Canyon def. No. 5 Sara White, Desert Hills, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
- No. 2 Bailey Huebner, Green Canyon def. No. 7 Angela Zhan, Logan, 6-0, 6-0
- No. 3 London Wunderli, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 6 Ellie Carlston, Ridgeline, 6-1, 6-0
Semifinals (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Kylie Kezos, Dixie def. No. 4 Maggie Crosby, Snow Canyon, 6-1, 6-0
- No. 2 Bailey Huebner, Green Canyon def. No. 3 London Wunderli, Crimson Cliffs, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0
Championship (Oct. 8)
No. 1 Kylie Kezos, Dixie vs. No. 2 Bailey Huebner, Green Canyon, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
Second singles
Play-in matches (Oct. 7)
- No. 8 Demi Larsen, Logan def. No. 9 Gracie Salley, Pine View
- No. 4 Megan Lewis, Desert Hills def. No. 13 Rachel Werrett, Hurricane
- No. 5 Katelyn Simon, Ridgeline def. No. 12 Allie Pearson, Cedar
- No. 7 Tearsti Stoker, Mountain Crest def. No. 10 Madison Burt, Sky View
- No. 6 Ava Roman, Snow Canyon def. No. 11 Madelyn Mickelson, Bear River
Quarterfinals (Oct. 7)
- No. 1 Fiona Fackrell, Dixie def. No. 8 Demi Larsen, Logan, 6-0, 6-0
- No. 4 Megan Lewis, Desert Hills def. No. 5 Katelyn Simon, Ridgeline, 6-2, 6-0
- No. 2 Liz Murri, Green Canyon def. No. 7 Tearsti Stoker, Green Canyon, 6-1, 6-1
- No. 3 Amanda Beckstrand, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 6 Ava Rowan, Snow Canyon, 7-6, 6-2, 6-1
Semifinals (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Fiona Fackrell, Dixie def. No. 4 Megan Lewis, Desert Hills, 6-1, 6-1
- No. 2 Liz Murri, Green Canyon def. No. 3 Amanda Beckstrand, Crimson Cliffs, 6-3, 6-1
Championship (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Fiona Fackrell, Dixie def. No. 2 Liz Murri, Green Canyon, 6-0, 6-0
Third singles
Play-in matches (Oct. 7)
- No. 8 Sarah Spackman, Sky View def. No. 9 Lillian Ricks, Logan
- No. 4 Bailey Speakman, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 13 Addison Wood, Cedar
- No. 5 Meg Fraser, Dixie def. No. 12 Kylie Blaser, Pine View
- No. 7 Anna Steel, Snow Canyon def. No. 10 Delaney Tebbs, Hurricane
- No. 6 Ava Apedaile, Mountain Crest def. No. 11 Rachel Epling, Bear River
Quarterfinals (Oct. 7)
- No. 1 Emma Murri, Green Canyon def. No. 8 Sarah Spackman, Sky View, 6-0, 6-1
- No. 4 Bailey Speakman, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 5 Meg Fraser, Dixie, 7-5, 6-3
- No. 2 Brianna Hartman, Desert Hills def. No. 7 Anna Steel, Snow Canyon, 6-0, 7-5
- No. 3 Luz Perez Spencer, Ridgeline def. No. 6 Ava Apedaile, Mountain Crest, 6-0, 6-2
Semifinals (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Emma Murri, Green Canyon def. No. 4 Bailey Speakman, Crimson Cliffs, 6-4, 6-4
- No. 3 Luz Perez Spencer, Ridgeline def. No. 2 Brianna Hartman, Desert Hills, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6
Championship (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Emma Murri, Green Canyon def. No. 3 Luz Perez Spencer, Ridgeline, 6-2, 7-5
First doubles
Play-in matches (Oct. 7)
- No. 8 Mika Schwartz/Skylee Haramoto, Sky View def. No. 9 Ashlyn Nielson/Alizabeth Fonnesbeck, Mountain Crest
- No. 4 Ella Pulsipher/Tessa Fielding, Desert Hills def. No. 13 Madison Kolste/Anna Hales, Bear River
- No. 5 Norah Perry/Lizzie Spach, Logan def. No. 12 Christen Jocelyn/Kaylee Leavenworth, Hurricane
- No. 10 Jenna Crain/Marley Geddes, Cedar def. No. 7 Natalie Little/Libby Larkin, Dixie
- No. 6 Jerzi Anderson/Sarah Richards, Snow Canyon def. No. 11 Tamaki Ida/Kailee Hill, Pine View
Quarterfinals (Oct. 7)
- No. 1 Olivia Phillips/Tori Jeppson, Green Canyon def. No. 8 Mika Schwartz/Skylee Haramoto, Sky View, 6-2, 6-1
- No. 4 Ella Pulsipher/Tessa Fielding, Desert Hills def. No. 5 Norah Perry/Lizzie Spach, Logan, 6-3, 6-1
- No. 2 Whitney Matheson/Camryn Stanger, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 10 Jenna Crain/Marley Geddes, Cedar, 6-0, 6-0
- No. 3 Brinley Wiese/Kiersten Daines, Ridgeline def. No. 6 Jerzi Anderson/Sarah Richards, Snow Cnayon, 7-5, 6-3
Semifinals (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Olivia Phillips/Tori Jeppson, Green Canyon def. No. 4 Ella Pulsipher/Tessa Fielding, Desert Hills, 6-3, 7-6
- No. 2 Whitney Matheson/Camryn Stanger, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 3 Brinley Wiese/Kiersten Daines, Ridgeline, 6-1, 6-3
Championship (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Olivia Phillips/Tori Jeppson, Green Canyon def. No. 2 Whitney Matheson/Camryn Stanger, Crimson Cliffs, 6-3, 6-0
Second doubles
Play-in matches (Oct. 7)
- No. 8 Chloe Bagley/Lexi Gunnell, Sky View def. No. 9 Lily Rasmussen/Brinlie Clark, Mountain Crest
- No. 4 Ruby Holbrook/Emree Rupp, Ridgeline def. No. 13 Katie Hewlett/Haylee Howard, Bear River
- No. 5 Tava Lutui/Katelyn Jennings, Dixie def. No. 12 Halle Wheeler/Kelsie Yardley, Hurricane
- No. 10 Brinlee Willstead/Ellie Norton, Pine View def. No. 7 Katherine Eborn/Anna Blanchard, Logan
- No. 6 Claire Renouf/Laura Lewis, Snow Canyon def. No. 11 Taya Torres/Briley Johnston, Cedar
Quarterfinals (Oct. 7)
- No. 1 Carly Nielsen/Maren McKenna, Green Canyon def. No. 8 Chloe Bagley/Lexi Gunnell, Sky View, 6-0, 6-1
- No. 4 Ruby Holbrook/Emree Rupp, Ridgeline def. No. 5 Tava Lutui/Katelyn Jennings, Dixie, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
- No. 2 Taylee Anderson/Brooklyn Price, Desert Hills def. No. 10 Brinlee Willstead/Ellie Norton, Pine View, 6-2, 6-2
- No. 3 Kate Obray/Carys Owen, Crimson Cliffs def. No. 6 Claire Renouf/Laura Lewis, Snow Canyon, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
Semifinals (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Carly Nielsen/Maren McKenna, Green Canyon def. No. 4 Ruby Holbrook/Emree Rupp, Ridgeline, 6-2, 6-1
- No. 2 Taylee Anderson/Brooklyn Price, Desert Hills def. No. 3 Kate Obray/Carys Owen, Crimson Cliffs, 6-4, 6-2
Championship (Oct. 8)
- No. 1 Carly Nielsen/Maren McKenna, Green Canyon vs. No. 2 Taylee Anderson/Brooklyn Price, Desert Hills, 6-2, 7-5