FAYETTEVILLE — Hayden Shoemake let out a yell as the ball fell on his opponent’s side of the net to finish off a 6-1, 6-0 win and claim the 6A-West Conference boys’ singles tennis title on Thursday at the Fayetteville Tennis Complex.
Shoemake hasn’t dropped a set this season but wasn’t pleased with his play the last time he faced Fayetteville’s Tucker Harris. The Bentonville West senior liked what he did this time around.
“That’s probably the best I’ve played all season,” Shoemake said. “I played him in-season. That was my toughest match. I beat him 6-4, 7-5 and he played amazing that match. I didn’t play well, but still somehow pulled that match out.
“Coming into this match, I was a little worried. I knew if he played like that I’d be in trouble. I’d have to really step it up. Today, I played really well. I wasn’t missing much at all. I was hitting all my first serves in. I just dominated the court.”
Shoemake, last year’s Class 6A state runner-up, also got a little surprise following the victory in the final. Bentonville West coach Hunter Alexander let him know his win sewed up the conference team title as well.
“This whole day I was more focused on myself,” Shoemake said, “because I knew if I won, I would help my team win.”
Bentonville West also claimed the girls’ team title as both singles’ players and both doubles’ teams all reached the semifinals.
Springdale Har-Ber’s doubles team of Conor Clardy and Hayden Swope claimed the boys’ title with a 6-4, 6-0. win in the finals.
Rogers High’s girls’ doubles team of Jenna Kate Bohner and Grace Lueders remained undefeated with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Bentonville West’s Sarah Schneringer and Kristyn Tappana. The Lady Wolverine duo finished fourth at the 6A state tournament a year ago, while Schneringer won a state title with a different partner as a sophomore.
Bohner and Lueders pulled out a tight first set, then got up 3-0 in the second and went on to the straight-set win.
Rogers coach Matthew Fulton said controlling Schneringer at the net was key for his team’s success.
“They are really aggressive at the net,” Fulton said. “But once we got that first break at 3-0 in the second set, we had a little momentum. I just said ‘keep the accelerator down’ and they did a great job.”
Bentonville’s Emma Coleman won the girls’ singles title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Bentonville West’s Cassie Cervantez in a battle of two freshmen, but Coleman showed why she earned the top seed.
She had already knocked off defending state champion Mary Houston of Fayetteville during a regular-season match but didn’t get another shot in the conference tournament.
Houston retired with an injury in the semifinals, but should be ready for the state tournament.