BURLINGTON – Top-seeded singles player Andrew Crone of Hickory lost only two games in four sets to march into the semifinals in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A men’s tennis championships on Friday at the Burlington Tennis Center.

Crone will play Statesville’s Preston Spencer in one semifinal while Charlotte Catholic’s Paul Bartholomy will take on George Kernodle of Burlington Williams in the other semi. Kernodle, the second seed, was the 3-A singles runner-up a year ago while Bartholomy was one-half of the Charlotte Catholic doubles team that won the 2-A crown. Charlotte Catholic has moved to 3-A in the current alignment.

The top two seeds in doubles also moved into the semifinals, including top-seeded Jacob Wright and Fabian Kaske of Asheville T.C. Roberson and the second-seeded duo of Trey Chatman and Ryan Kerr of Jamestown Ragsdale.

Semifinals will be played Saturday morning starting at 9:00 a.m. with the championship slated for early afternoon back at the Burlington Tennis Center.

Wendy’s and the Carolinas Ford Dealers are the presenting sponsors for the NCHSAA sports program.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2006 STATE MEN’S 3-A TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Burlington Tennis Center, Burlington

Singles-First Round

Andrew Crone (Hickory) def. Drew Wandler (Monroe Piedmont) 6-0,6-1; James Walker (Kinston) def. Phillip Collins (Asheville T.C. Roberson) 6-2,6-0; Alex Sack (West Brunswick) def. Daniel Tobben (Charlotte Catholic) 6-3,6-0; Preston Spencer (Statesville) def. Drew Ziccardi (Eastern Wayne) 6-2,6-0; Owen Bullard (Concord) def. Sumeet Jindal (Oxford Webb) 6-0,6-2; Paul Bartholomy (Charlotte Catholic) def. Ryan Wall (Grey’s Creek), 6-1,6-0; Jared Stone (Eastern Wayne) def. Adam Moneypenny (Southern Alamance) 7-6(5),6-2; George Kernodle (Burlington Williams) def. Travis Vanhoy (North Iredell) 6-1,6-2.

Singles-Quarterfinals

Crone (Hickory) def. Walker (Kinston) 6-1,6-0; Spencer (Statesville) def. Sack (West Brunswick) 6-2,6-4; Bartholomy (Charlotte Catholic) def. Bullard (Concord), 6-1,6-0; Kernodle (Burlington Williams) def. Stone (Eastern Wayne), 6-1,6-1.

Singles-Semifinals

Andrew Crone (Hickory) vs. Preston Spencer (Statesville)

Paul Bartholomy (Charlotte Catholic) vs. George Kernodle (Burlington Williams)

Doubles-First Round

Jacob Wright-Fabian Kaske (Asheville T.C. Roberson) def. Charley Whitely-Chris Sparks (Western Alamance) 6-2,6-1; Walker Buchan-Sam Stalls (Cameron Union Pines) def. Drew Jackson-Alex Bryant (Eastern Wayne) 6-4,6-3; Joseph Canada-Ross Powell (Burlington Williams) def. Kevin Stancil-Ben Peele (Washington) 7-6(2), 6-2; Thomas Fanjoy-Luke Gillis (Statesville) def. Ben Carlton-David Meek (Hickory), 6-1,6-0; Tripp Johnson-Tyler Magerkurth (Hickory) def. Thurman Murphy-Brad Totten (Southern Alamance) 6-1,6-0; Brandon Lamoureaux-David Trautman (Charlotte Catholic) def. Kevin Murray-Ethan Page (Southern Nash) 6-1,6-1; Hunter Henley-Michael Ridenhour (Mooresville) def. Travis Marsh-Travis Kirkpatrick (Rocky Mount), 6-3,2-6,6-1; Trey Chatman-Ryan Kerr (Jamestown Ragsdale) def. Travis Lynk-David Cone (Southwest Guilford) 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles-Quarterfinals

Wright-Kaske (Asheville T.C. Roberson) def. Buchan-Stalls (Union Pines) 6-2,6-1; Fanjoy-Gillis (Statesville) def. Canada-Powell (Burlington Williams) 6-1,6-0; Johnson-Magerkurth (Hickory) def. Lamoureaux-Trautman (Charlotte Catholic), 6-3,6-7(3),6-3; Chatman-Kerr (Ragsdale) def. Henley-Ridenhour (Mooresville), 6-2,6-2

Doubles—Semifinals

Jacob Wright-Fabian Kaske (Asheville T.C. Roberson) vs. Thomas Fanjoy-Luke Gillis (Statesville)

Tripp Johnson-Tyler Magerkurth (Hickory) vs. Trey Chatman-Ryan Kerr (Jamestown Ragsdale)