SALT LAKE CITY — There’s a new “sheriff” in town in Utah’s 3A girls tennis, and Rowland Hall has high hopes to stay there a while.
Led by freshman Lucy Wallin and sophomore Rachelle Prasthofer, Rowland Hall took advantage of its first-day lead and earned enough points in Saturday’s action to claim a comfortable victory and earn its first state crown since 2015 — when it was a 2A school. The Winged Lions followed a narrow Region 13 tourney win last week over Morgan with a more successful — and comfortable — showing at state under near-perfect weather conditions at Liberty Park.
“This is big … really big,” said Rowland Hall head coach Susan Daynes. “We had another good day. A perfect season for us. This is an awesome group of girls who remained really focused.”
Playing on familiar courts just a couple miles from its campus, Rowland Hall came into the day with a three-point lead over Morgan and then sent three more players to the finals to finish with 20 points, followed by Waterford (14), Grantsville and Morgan (13 each) and Manti (10).
Daynes, however, said she didn’t feel comfortable until Prasthofer completed a dream season with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Aubrei Jorgensen of Richfield.
Rowland Hall had advanced its players to the semifinals in all five divisions, and Wallin, Prasthofer and Tennyson Seethaler also moved forward to their title match with impressive wins. Wallin, a freshman who is following the footsteps of her older siblings, accomplished her goal in No. 1 singles by beating Waterford’s Sophie Christensen, to whom she had lost twice previously this season.
Prasthofer shook off the memory of her first-round loss last year by rolling through the No. 3 singles division and ended her day with a big smile following a 6-0, 6-1 win against Stella McGowan of Grand County.
“We had another good day. A perfect season for us. This is an awesome group of girls who remained really focused.” — Rowland Hall head coach Susan Daynes
Those two individual crowns provided Rowland Hall with 12 points, which was almost enough to win this tourney alone. Daynes felt that with those girls coming back for at least two more seasons, Rowland Hall should be considered a favorite next year and will have a reputation to uphold.
Wallin said it wasn’t her talent that helped earn her first high school sanctioned title.
“I knew what she (Christensen) liked to do,” she said. “I just wanted it more (this time).”
Waterford’s Noelle Kieffer also had a successful weekend and captured the No. 2 singles title. Lucy Tripp and Reagan Toone combined to bring an individual trophy back to Morgan and Madison Bolinder-Riley Dalton won in No. 2 doubles and provided Grantsville with almost half of its team points.
Girls 3A state tennis tournament
At Liberty Park
Saturday’s results
Team scores
1. Rowland Hall, 20; 2. Waterford, 14; 3. Grantsville, Morgan, 13; 5. Manti, 10; 6. Grand County, 5; 7. Richfield, 4; 8. Carbon, Maeser Prep, 3; 10. South Sevier, 2; 11. Emery, Judge Memorial, North Sanpete, 1.
First singles
Semifinals
Lucy Wallin (Rowland Hall) def. Sadie Cox (Manti) 6-2, 6-1.
Sophie Christensen (Waterford) def. Katelyn Steel (Morgan) 6-2, 6-2
Championship
Wallin def. Christensen 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Second singles
Semifinals
Noelle Kieffer (Waterford) def. Kelsey Ortega (Maeser Prep) 6-2, 6-3.
Tennyson Seethaler (Rowland Hall) def. Savannah Dutson (Morgan) 6-4, 6-3
Championship
Kieffer def. Seethaler 6-0, 6-0.
Third singles
Semifinals
Rachelle Prasthofer (Rowland Hall) def. Aubrei Jorgensen (Richfield) 6-0, 6-4
Stella McGowan (Grand County) def. Bailey Norris (Waterford) 6-3, 6-3
Championship
Prasthofer def. McGowan 6-0, 6-1.
First doubles
Semifinals
Lucy Tripp-Reagan Toone (Morgan) def. Libby Simons-Heidi Jorgensen (Manti) 6-3, 6-2.
Hallie Johnson-Addie Butler (Grantsville) def. Madeline Keil-Alivia Boe (Rowland Hall) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Championship
Tripp-Toone def. Johnson-Butler 6-3, 6-4
Second doubles
Semifinals
Talia Cluff-Emma Christensen (Manti) def. Ryann Jensen-Sydney Jensen (Morgan) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Madison Bolinder-Riley Dalton (Grantsville) def. Madeline Frazier-Kate Altman (Rowland Hall) 6-3, 1-6, 6-0
Championship
Bolinder-Dalton def. Cluff-Christensen 6-2, 6-1