20th ANNUAL NCHSAA DUAL TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS ON SATURDAY IN BURLINGTON
BURLINGTON – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 20th annual state men’s dual team tennis championships will come to the Burlington Tennis Center on Saturday, with some familiar powers in tennis once again competing for state titles.
All four classification championships are scheduled for Saturday, with the 3-A and 4-A classifications starting at 9 a.m. and then the 1-A and 2-A beginning at noon. The teams qualifying for the finals advanced with victories in the state semifinal round on Thursday.
Raleigh Broughton has marched into the 4-A dual team finals for the12th time but first trip since 2007 as the Caps (24-1) will take on Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds (18-2). Broughton ousted Wilmington Hoggard 5-1 on Thursday.
Reynolds is in the finals for the second consecutive year, losing in the state championship a year ago to Raleigh Millbrook 5-3. Reynolds beat previously unbeaten Charlotte Myers Park 5-1 in a Thursday regional final.
Broughton’s James Coxe advanced to the semifinals in singles in last weekend’s state tournament. Robbie Mudge of R.J. Reynolds captured the singles title in 2009 but was unable to play last weekend in the state tournament due to injury.
The 3-A final sends Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons (22-4), which has won the last four 2-A titles but has moved up a classification in the current realignment, against Asheville (18-1).
Chris Geaslen and Matt Daly of Cardinal Gibbons were the state 3-A doubles runners-up in last weekend’s tournament.
Undefeated Newton-Conover (24-0) will take on Pittsboro Northwood (15-6) for the 2-A championship. Newton-Conover got past Salisbury 5-1 while Northwood outlasted Hampstead Topsail 7-2 in the Thursday regionals.
Newton-Conover is in the finals for the fourth consecutive time but is looking for its initial state dual team crown, while Northwood is making its initial appearance.
Two Newton-Conover doubles teams faced one another for the state championship last weekend, with the Red Devil pair of Will Huggins and Hang Lak Choi downing teammates Dillon Cervantez and Ryan Lampe in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
The 1-A championship pits Mount Airy (15-2) against the unbeaten North Carolina School of Science and Math from Durham (19-0). Mount Airy makes its fourth appearance in the finals and is 3-0 in previous trips, capturing crowns in 2005, ’06 and ’09. NCSSM won the state 1-A title in 2008.
Mount Airy’s Nicholas John won the state singles championship last weekend, while the Granite Bear doubles duo of Matt Kessler and Brooks Mayberry defeated Will Jackson and George Zhao of NCSSM in straight sets for the doubles title.
The North Carolina Tennis Foundation is one of the event sponsors of the championship. Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
20th ANNUAL DUAL TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Burlington Tennis Center, Burlington
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Class 1-A: Durham North Carolina School of Science and Math (19-0) vs. Mount Airy (15-2), noon
Class 2-A: Pittsboro Northwood (15-6) vs. Newton-Conover (24-0), noon
Class 3-A: Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons (22-4) vs. Asheville (18-1), 9 am
Class 4-A: Raleigh Broughton (24-1) vs. Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds (18-2), 9 am
NCHSAA FastFacts
Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010
Site: Burlington Tennis Center, Burlington
First Held: 1991
Qualifiers: Eastern and Western champions meet for state title; 32 schools qualified for playoffs in each classification except 1-A (24)
Defending champions: 1-A: Mount Airy; 2-A: Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons; 3-A: Lake Norman; 4-A: Raleigh Millbrook
Of Interest: A total of 46 different schools have played for the state title in the previous 18 years of this championship.
Presenting Sponsors: Wendy’s
