The Salem High tennis team claimed the championship of its own tournament, capturing the Salem Invitational April 5.
The host Tigers won the team title while Mountain Grove took second. Also competing were Licking and Houston.
Each school had two singles players and two doubles squads in the event.
In the A Flight Singles bracket Gunnar Konkel finished 2-1, beating Licking’s Allie Decker 8-0 and Houston’s Connor McKinney 8-3 while falling to Mountain Grove’s Kyle Penner 8-3.
The Tigers’ B Flight Singles bracket player, Lawson Petty, also finished 2-1, beating Licking’s Emalee Breeden 8-0 and Houston’s Waylon Collins 8-3 while losing to Mountain Grove’s Jakob Hisler 9-8.
In A Flight Doubles Salem’s duo of Logan Hubbs/Will Christesen went 3-0, sweeping past Licking’s Zoe Mesger/Kara Williams 8-0, Mountain Grove’s Michaela Dickey/Charis Alsup 8-1 and Houston’s Maggie Wolfe/Hailie Hamilton 8-0.
And in B Flight Doubles the Tigers’ Clayton Headrick/Cole Coursen also went 3-0, topping Licking’s Caylyn Huff/Albert Gyory 8-0, Mountain Grove’s Taea Emery/Erecka Penner 8-3 and Houston’s Riley Wilson/Alie Campbell 8-1.
In a home dual meet Monday, April 3 Salem lost to Waynesville 6-3. Against Waynesville, Salem victories were by Konkel and Headrick in singles play and the doubles squad of Konkel/Petty.
Here are the April 3 dual-meet results, with the Salem players listed first:
WHS 6, Salem 3 – Singles: Logan Hubbs lost to Nate Wilking, 8-6. Gunnar Konkel beat Damon Plotner, 8-4. Lawson Petty lost to Julian Vargas, 8-0. Will Christesen lost to Patrick Petitt, 8-6. Cole Coursen lost to Jazz Erwin, 8-2. Clayton Headrick beat Jacob Dye, 8-6. Doubles: Hubbs/Christesen lost to Wilking/Plotner, 9-8 (8-6). Konkel/Petty beat Vargas/Petitt, 8-3. Coursen/Headrick lost to Erwin/Dye, 9-7.
This week Salem was scheduled to host Rolla April 10, host Willow Springs April 11 and play at Licking April 13.
