By Gerardo Bolong

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ana Rios of Foster High School led local state tennis players with her second consecutive silver medal at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the University of Washington campus in concluding 2A girls state tennis action on Sat., May 25.

Unbeaten in 2019, Faith Grisham of Columbia River had just a shade too much for the Bulldog star in a 6-2, 6-2, title triumph.

On the way to the championship match, Rios opened her Friday with a strong 6-0, 6-0 defeat of Kerington Tenwick from Clarkston.

Later in the day, the FHS player polished off Lyndsey Fleury of Burlington, 6-0, 6-1.

In the Saturday morning semifinal match, Karli Rojas of North Kitsap forced Rios to fight hard in a 6-4 first set win for Foster. Rios took control to win the second set at 6-1 to bring her against Grisham.

On the boys 2A singles tournament side, Rios’s younger brother Abe acquitted himself well.

Abe Rios gained a first round, two-set, 6-2, 6-1, victory against Peter Felicjan of Prosser on Friday ahead of a 6-4, 6-1 loss to Shane Lynette of Sehome.

Kyle Hebbeler of Lindbergh proved to be tough before the Foster athlete emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph on Saturday.

Rios then endured another tough tussle in a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Jared Zaugg of White River to annex fourth place.

Highline High School had the pair of Stella Fosberg and Chloe Watson in 2A girls doubles. Fosberg and Watson came through with a rugged 7-6, 6-4, defeat of Clara-Beth Hamill and Hannah Walter of Sehome on Friday. Katrina Vongsaly and Katrina Kunitz of Sammamish sent the Pirate tandem into the consolation bracket, 6-2, 6-2.

The HHS tandem were then eliminated, 6-3,  6-0, by Anna Marie Rutherford and Maya Becerra of Sedro Woolley.

In girls team standings, Columbia River and Sequim tied for first at 11 points. Next came  Foster, Olympic and Sammamish at 10 points each.

At Hanford High School and the Columbia Basin Racquet Club, Julian and Lucas Orint of Mt. Rainier started their Friday state boys 4A doubles by defeating Cal Nyby and Micah Olin of Chiawana, 6-4, 6-2. Lucas Huang and Amay Sahu of Newport then dealt the Ram team into the consolation bracket, 6-2,  6-2.

The Orint pairing survived a loser-out match against Tyler Cochran and Drew Sellers of Lake Stevens, 6-0, 6-3, on Friday evening.

On Saturday the Rams were defeated, 6-1, 7-6 (4) by Akash Presad and Jake Glanan of Camas to end up in seventh place.