Dawgs have historic showing at Rocket Invitational

By TJ MAXWELL

Cove Leader-Press

WACO - The Copperas Cove Tennis team had one of their best outings in recent history, bringing home 13 medals from the Robinson Rocket Invitational in Waco last Friday.

“This was one of our best tournaments in recent memory,” Cove head tennis coach Paul Talbett said in a press release. “We had 13 out of 16 medal, and the three that did not medal reached the semi-finals and finished fourth. Everyone was playing for a medal in their last match, and 15 out of 16 reached the semifinals of the tournament.”

Kamryn Ash emerged as the ‘B’ girls tournament champion while the doubles teams of Tessa Bliss/Abby Mackwelung and Latoya Alokoa/Alyssa Gonzalez each finish second in the girls ‘A’ and ‘B’ divisions, respectively.

The ‘B’ boys team of Brett Alber and Nick Motley also notched a silver medal in doubles as did Trystan Jackson in ‘B’ boys singles.

The mixed doubles teams of Martha Abraham/Noah Samarippa and Ari Diaz/Zamira Manuel brought home bronze medals.

The ‘A’ doubles team of Gavin Glick and Jalen Nix finished fourth as did Noah Chapman in ‘A’ boys singles. Ashley Martinez was the ‘A’ girls consolation champion.

Ash defeated Alexis Lewis (8-2) and Georgie Holland (8-4) in the opening 

rounds to set up a clash with Taylor’s Sierra Estrada in the semis where she won 8-4. Ash’s finals opponent, Kaitlin Bohn of China Spring withdrew giving her the tournament crown.

Bliss/Mackwelung took a similar approach to the finals. They raced to the semifinals with an 8-6 win over Groesbeck’s DeFriend/Zhao and an 8-1 win over Meador/Garcia of San Saba. They then defeated Waco High’s Sirarm/Jackson 8-2 to reach the finals where they fell to China Springs’ Hopkins McMullen.

Alokoa/Gonzalez defeated China Springs’ Reinke/Sanders 8-4, blanked Gatesville’s Grundy/Pratt 8-0 in the second round and Palestine’s Stone Attaway in the semis before falling to Taylor’s Hopson/Cmerek in the finals.

Alber/Motley earned their silver with wins over Whitney’s Hasty/Booth (8-1), San Saba’s Guerrero/Argote (8-4) and Taylor’s Gardner Yanez to earn a spot in the final where they battled to the wire in a 9-8(4) tiebreak loss against Burleson’s Williams/King.

Jackson earned wins over Hunter Wilsey of Moody (8-0), Kennan Zhao of Groesbeck (8-2) and Taylor’s Zack Bohac to reach the finals against Waco High’s Noah Johnson where he fell 8-4.

Abraham/Samarippa defeated Hillsboro’s DelaRosa/Hernandez (9-8(3) and Burleson’s Brooks/Brunson before falling to Moody’s Surface/Taylor in the semis. They then defeated Caldwell’s Olivarez/Fryrear 8-3 in the third-place game.

Finally, Diaz/Manuel earned their bronze by defeating Palestine’s Sheeley/Lupo (8-2), China Springs’ Cox/McCartney (8-1) before falling Taylor’s Maxwell/Jansky in the semis. They then defeated Ellison’s Dominguez/Keyser 8-3 for third.

Cove hosts the Dawg Classic today. The 18-team field will get underway at 8 a.m.