Nevada netters capture medals in district-play

Nevada Lady Tiger medals winners, from left: Hallie Short, Erika Watanabe, and Eden Fisher.

Submitted photo

The Nevada Lady Tigers put forth a strong showing at Friday’s Class 1 District 11 Individual Tennis Tournament in Joplin.

Singles

Nevada senior Erika Watanabe finished 2-1 en route to a third-place No. 1 singles finish. After receiving an opening-round bye, Watanabe then knocked off College Heights’ Grace Sanderson (6-1, 6-3) in the quarterfinals. Watanabe, however, was derailed in the semifinals, falling to Thomas Jefferson’s Audrey Neighmond — 6-7 (9-7), 2-6. Watanabe quickly bounced back, trumping Mount Vernon’s Brooke Loftus, 8-4, in the third-place match.

Nevada junior Lexi Leighty defeated Lamar’s Kiersten Mahurn (6-1, 7-5) in No. 2 singles opening-round action. Leighty’s day, however, was derailed with a quarterfinal loss.

Doubles

Nevada’s No. 1 doubles pairing — junior Hallie Short and sophomore Eden Fisher, earned a second-place finish, while punching their ticket to the upcoming Class 1 sectional tournament. After receiving a first-round bye, the duo dispatched Thomas Jefferson’s Jane Min and Gabriella Laird (6-4, 6-3). In the semifinals Short and Fisher doubled up College Heights tandem Annie Secker and Tessa Greathouse, 6-3, 6-3. Short and Fisher were then tripped up in the No. 1 doubles championship match by Mount Vernon’s Lindsey Hood and Kassidy Anderson — 2-6, 0-6.

Nevada’s No. 2 doubles team, seniors Carlie McCaffree and Peyton Claypool breezed past Monett’s Sydnie Parrigon and Katie Smith, 6-4, 6-0, in opening-round play. McCaffree and Claypool then had their day cut short with a quarterfinal loss.