Rowen L. (Melanie Q./Staff)

Coming in hot on Wednesday, May 8, and Saturday, May 11, the tennis Vikings hosted sectionals for the Division II Central District OHSAA boys tennis tournament.

On the first day, first-seeded Nason L. defeated each of his opponents 6-0, 6-0 in singles. He collected easy victories against Beechcroft, Bishop-Hartley, and Marion-Pleasant. Fourth-seeded Sujay B. also clinched three wins: he achieved two decisive ones against Bishop Ready (6-0, 6-1) and Marion-Pleasant (6-0, 6-0), before battling Granville for the tiebreaker point in a tiebreaker set (4-6, 6-2, 7-6). 

In the doubles bracket, duo Rowen L. and Lucas X. got seeded first, while Ian C. and Jacob K. followed in the second seed. Both pairs received byes in the first round before winning their next two matches. Rowen and Lucas swept Bishop-Hartley and Fisher Catholic 6-0, 6-0. Ian and Jacob displayed similar results, winning 6-0, 6-0 against Bishop-Hartley and 6-1, 6-0 against Granville. 

The six players advanced to the semifinals three days later, displaying successful results across the board. Nason defeated Granville 6-0, 6-1, then dominated Wellington 6-2, 6-2 to become the sectional singles champion. Sujay lost the semifinal match but will still compete in districts next week.

Both doubles teams clinched victories over Wellington in the semi-finals matchup, with Rowen and Lucas scoring 6-0, 6-1, and Ian and Jacob ending 6-2, 6-2. As the Viking teams faced each other in finals, Rowen and Lucas emerged as the sectional champions with a 6-1, 6-1 score. Both pairs will compete at districts.

Coming up, six tennis Vikings will play in the district tournament on Wednesday, April 15, Thursday, April 16, and Saturday, April 18, at home. Best of luck!