Heritage Hall Tournament of Champions – Girls
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Spent most of Friday and Saturday camped out at Heritage Hall for what I feel is the biggest tennis tournament of the year.
It really doesn’t get much bigger than the Heritage Hall Tournament of Champions. In some ways, it’s better than state because there is no class separation.
Friday was the girls portion, and here are some thoughts, observations:
- McGuinness junior Whitney Ritchie is something special. The way she handled the wind and double bageled Andrea Lewis of Bishop Kelley was impressive.
This was the first singles match I’ve seen Ritchie in after all those doubles matches last year with Mia Lancaster.
Lewis edged Heritage Hall’s Julie Labarthe in three sets in the semifinals. That combined with wanting to go to Prom made the final a little anti-climactic.
But boy is Ritchie one to watch for nationally in the years to come.
- Introduced to a new face at Heritage Hall, freshman Sarah Bowen. Liked her poise, and she’s not built like your typical freshman.
I imagined her as some scrawny kid who would need to time to develop her fitness. Not so, she looks like she belongs out there.
Bowen lost to Bishop Kelley’s Meredith Burns in the No. 2 singles championship.
- Would like to see Labarthe and Duncan’s Melanie Barnes fully healthy for state. Labarthe is battling shin splints while Barnes is dealing with a wrist injury. Felt cheated to not see both of them at 100 percent.
- McGuinness swept this event last year but not this year. Of course, part of that was because Lancaster was playing in a tournament in California but big win by the Duncan No. 2 doubles team.
McGuinness placed first, followed by Bishop Kelley and Duncan. All three are 5A schools.
The McGuinness No. 1 doubles team of Katelyn Connelly and Emily Conrad smoked the field. But really that wasn’t much of a surprise as the two could probably be the No. 1 singles player at most schools in the state.
Conrad must be pretty popular as this is the third straight year she’s been paired up with someone and her third new partner. She’s already got two titles and appears on her way to a third.
- Wasn’t a fair assessment of Edmond Memorial. The Bulldogs tied for fifth but did so without singles players Lindsay Choi and Safaa Aly.
- That was actually the common link of this last weekend. While it was a good tournament and showcased some of the top teams, we were missing some key players because of various reasons.
- Bishop Kelley is one player short, I think, from making a real run at McGuinness. Going to compete hard but think Comets are going to fall just a tad short.
- Weather was nice Friday. A little bit of wind, but nothing like the wind Thursday and the wind Saturday.
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