Class 5A state tennis tournament

Pulaski Academy asserts dominance on 2 sides

It was all Pulaski Academy at the Class 5A state tennis tournament Tuesday at Rebsamen Tennis Center.

The Bruins captured the boys and girls titles, as well as the boys and girls singles events and girls doubles. It was the third consecutive crown for the Bruins while the Lady Bruins won their first outright title since 2010 and ended a string of five consecutive titles for Hot Springs Lakeside.

The Lady Bruins and Rams shared the 2015 championship.

The Bruins domination on the boys side continued as sophomore Foster Rogers defeated teammate Jake Bridges for the singles title 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). Both players were state runners-up last year -- Rogers in doubles and Bridges in singles.

"I thought I played all right,'' Rogers said. "He played better than I thought he would.

"I was serving good, better than I expected. My backhand was a little off but it was all right. I felt pretty confident coming in. Try to be at least. I had a few games where I served well, and my net game was pretty good."

The Bruins finished with 16 points. Lakeside was second at 9.

The driving force behind Lakeside's run on the girls side has been the Rice family. Carrying on the legacy is Thea Rice, a senior, who won her first singles title in easy fashion by polishing off Little Rock Christian's Taylor Shaw 6-1, 6-4.

Rice was runner-up in singles last year.

"I thought I played really well, and in the first set I served really well, which helped a lot," Rice said. "She started playing a lot better in the second set, so that sort of set me back a little. But overall I thought I played pretty decent. I talked with my coach, and he said set a game plan because she has a sort of tricky ball that is really flat and doesn't have much."

It was the fifth consecutive year a member of her family has won a state title. Older sister Tatum Rice won four state crowns.

"A little pressure because of my sister,'' Thea Rice said. "I was texting with my sister today, and she told me I had to win it. My parents were like, 'You have got to win and be like Tatum.' "

Pulaski Academy edged Lakeside 11-10 in girls competition. It took a victory by the Lady Bruins' Caroline Gibbens and Abby Minton over Valley View's Evelyn Maurras and Ashlee Shineberry 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 in doubles to secure the crown.

In the boys doubles, Lakeside's Blake Wooldridge and Noah Ross won 6-4, 6-3 over Tyler Angtuaco and Jack Lewis of Pulaski Academy.

Sports on 10/18/2017

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