Skyridge High School’s girls tennis team is well on its way to a four-peat after a dominant performance Thursday during the opening day of the 6A state tournament at Liberty Park.
The Falcons were perfect on Day 1, with all three singles players and both doubles teams winning their Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches to advance to Saturday morning’s semifinals.
Skyridge has a perfect team score through Day 1 with 30 points, while Layton and Lone Peak sit in second place with 22 points.
Skyridge was in an identical position last year heading into the semifinals, and it ultimately advanced four teams into the finals. Its two doubles teams prevailed.
Doubles could hold the key again on Saturday in Skyridge’s quest for a four-peat. Skyridge’s doubles teams are the No. 1 seed in both positions, whereas second-place Layton didn’t advance either of its doubles teams into the semifinals and can’t score anymore team points this weekend. Lone Peak has one doubles team still in the hunt.
Skyridge’s first doubles team of Kylee Sperry and Andi Armstrong won both of its matches on Thursday 6-0, 6-0, while its second doubles team of Ava Ericksen and Sophia Bleak won 6-2, 6-1.
But Layton is still very much in the hunt for the team title, especially if it can be perfect in singles play on Saturday and get some help, too.
Layton singles players are the top seed in all three positions: Tia Christopulos at first singles, Tana Christopulos at second singles and Victoria Cooksey at third singles. Tana Christopulos and Cooksey are defending singles state champs, even though the positions they competed in last year have flip-flopped.
Skyridge’s players are the No. 2 seed in all three positions as well, so the teams won’t go head to head until the championship matches if both advance.
Skyridge’s singles players are Bella Lewis at first singles, Kaia Sperry at second singles and Naomi Johnson at third singles.
Lewis was the runner-up in 6A first singles a year ago as a sophomore. The athlete she lost to, Farmington’s Anna Frey, isn’t competing in high school tennis this fall.
Lone Peak’s remaining competitors are all No. 3 seeds (two singles, one doubles) and they go head to head with Skyridge in the semifinals at both second and third singles. Wins in both would give the Knights an inside chance to dethroning the current three-time state champs.