Tennis: Hartselle boys win section, qualify for state

By Staff
Staff Reports, Hartselle Enquirer
The Hartselle boys tennis team was the Section 4 champion at the section tournament held Tuesday at the Gadsden Tennis Center, finishing with 49 points, well ahead of second-place Albertville's 27. All members of the team qualified for the state tournament in Mobile this coming Monday and Tuesday.
Hartselle had four individual champions and one doubles champion. Alex Brown won the No. 2 title; Jeremy Roper took first place at No. 4 singles; John Allen Landers won the No. 5 title and Chris Connor won at No. 6. The doubles champion was Landers/A.J. McNutt, who took first place at No. 3 doubles.
At No. 1 singles, Anthony Penick had a bye in the first round; defeated Arab 6-2, 6-4 in the second round and fell in the finals to West Point, 5-7, 2-6. At No. 2, Brown had a bye in the first round; defeated Albertville 6-2, 6-2 in the second round and knocked off West Point 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5 in the final. At No. 3 singles, Scott Dukes fell to Southside in the first round 4-10. At No. 4 singles, Roper defeated Cullman 10-4 in the first round; Arab 6-1, 6-3 in the second round and Fort Payne in the finals, 6-4, 6-4. At No. 5, Landers defeated Albertville 10-1 in the first round; Arab in the second round 6-1, 6-4 and Fort Payne in the final, 6-4, 6-4. At No. 6, Connor had a bye in the first round; defeated Albertville in the second round 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 and defeated Arab in the final, 6-2, 6-0.
At No. 1 doubles, Brown/Penick had a bye in the first round; defeated West Point 6-3, 6-4 in the second round and lost in the finals to Albertville, 4-6, 4-6. At No. 2 doubles, Roper/Connor defeated Fort Payne 10-8 in the first round; stopped West Point 6-3, 6-0 in the second round and fell to Arab in the finals, 4-6, 1-6. At No. 3 doubles, McNutt/Landers won in the first round over Fort Payne 10-5; defeated Arab in the second round 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 and knocked off Albertville in the finals 6-2, 6-2.
Girls team finishes 4th, Light qualifies for state
Hartselle's girls tennis team finished fourth overall with 23 points at the section tournament Monday at the Gadsden Tennis Center. Candice Light was the overall champion in No. 1 singles and Katie Kilgore finished first in overall at No. 3 singles. As the No. 1 singles champion, Light qualified automatically for the state tournament.
At No. 1 singles, Light won her first round against Cullman 10-2; won in the second round against Albertville 6-0, 7-5 and won in the championship against West Point 6-3, 7-5. At No. 3 singles, Kilgore won the first round against Fort Payne 10-3; defeated Arab in the second round 7-6, 6-3 and knocked off Cullman in the championship round 6-2, 6-2.
At No. 2 singles, Rachel Wiley won in the first round 10-2 against Southside, then lost in the second round 3-6, 0-6 to West Point. At No. 4 singles, Kelsey Jensen won in the first round 11-10 over Fort Payne; defeated Cullman 6-1, 6-2 in the second round; then lost 4-6, 2-6 to West Point in the championship round. At No. 5 singles, Kara Rickets lost in the first round 8-10 to Arab. At No. 6 singles, Dana Watson won in the first round 10-0 over Southside-Gadsden then lost in the second round 0-6, 3-6 to Cullman.
At No. 1 doubles, Light/Kilgore had a bye in the first round and lost to West Point in the second round 3-6, 6-0, 1-6. At No. 2 doubles, Jensen/Watson defeated Fort Payne in the first round 10-6; but lost to West Point in the second round 5-7, 6-0, 4-6. At No. 3 doubles, Wiley/Taylor Bean lost in the first round 4-10 to West Point.