Bulldogs claim three district championships
LLANO — The Burnet High School tennis team made a showing at the District 8-3A Tournament April 7-8, qualifying three to the Class 3A Region I Tournament.
“Overall, the team showed great play,” coach Tammy Hullum said. “Burnet has continued to show strength in tennis. It has been a long time coming, but we are seeing the results of hard work and dedication. I was very proud of each player. Out of 13 players who played, nine came away with either a third or first place.”
The three regional qualifiers — seniors Laura Servise and Stewart Berg and sophomore Will Gerdes — move on as District 8-3A champions in their respective competition.
Servise, in her fourth straight appearance at the regional tournament, defeated a Leander Vandegrift player, 6-0, 5-2, 7-5, in the title match.
Servise was down in the second set because of unforced errors but recovered for the tie-breaking victory.
In the earlier rounds, Servise beat out a Llano athlete, 6-0, 6-0 and a Liberty Hill player, 6-0, 6-1.
Berg and Gerdes captured the boys doubles championship with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the finals over a Vandegrift team.
The Burnet duo then defeated a team from Llano, 6-2, 6-2, in their district opener continued the trend against a Vandegrift squad, 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals.
In boys’ singles competition, both Burnet players reached the semi-finals.
Senior Adam Brandenburg defeated a player from Leander Rouse, 6-0, 6-1, before tussling with another from Vandegrift in a three-and-a half-hour match. Brandenburg dropped the tough decision, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 3-6.
Sophomore Zane Freeman beat a player from Rouse, 6-1, 6-1; another from Llano, 6-2, 6-2, but then succumbed to one from Vandegrift, 6-0, 6-1.
In the play for third place, Freeman faced teammate Brandenburg. Brandenburg squeaked past Freeman, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, to become the first alternate to the regional matches.
In junior varsity girls’ action, freshman Ali Simon won third place in singles competition. She defeated a player from Vandegrift, 6-2, 6-2, in the first round but lost in the next round, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5), to a Liberty Hill athlete.
Simon rebounded with a 6-2, 6-3 win over a second Liberty Hill player to finish third.
In the junior varsity boys’ division, freshman Shawn Chambers advanced to the semifinals but had to withdraw because of an injury. Chambers defeated a player from Llano, 8-1, in the first round and another from Vandegrift, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The junior varsity boys doubles team of sophomores Weston Smith and freshman Dalton Greenway claimed the championship by shutting out a team from Liberty Hill, 6-0, 6-0, and defeating another from Llano, 6-2, 6-3.
The other Burnet boys’ doubles team of freshmen Bodie Menchaca and Clay Billac finished third with a win over a Liberty Hill team, 6-0, 6-2.
The regional meet is set for April 21-22 in Lubbock.
