Trenton’s tennis season officially came to an end over the weekend as the doubles team of Jessica and Jaci Tracy competed at the MSHSAA Class 1 Girls Tennis Championships in Springfield. The Tracys advanced to the quarterfinals before falling. The loss placed the duo in the consolation bracket where they fell, ending what was a tremendous year for Trenton tennis.
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In their first state match, the Tracys picked up a 6-1, 6-2 victory over a team from Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau. That win vaulted the Tracys to the quarterfinals where they ran across Barstow’s Lauren Estes and Madeleine Tadros. Barstow had knocked Trenton out of the team tournament in the quarterfinals and the Tracys suffered the same fate in the individual doubles state tournament. The Tracys fell, 6-0, 6-0, moving to the consolation bracket as a result.
In the consolation bracket, the Tracys were handed their second loss, falling to a Marshall duo in a close match. The Tracys were able to force a third set and kept the match competitive to the end, but fell 2-6, 6-2, 4-6. The loss ended the Tracys run in the state tournament.
“It was such an honor to be able to take Jaci and Jessica to Springfield to play state tennis,” Lady Bulldogs’ Head Coach Abby Gott said. “Friday was a tough day, battling the cold and wind, but the girls came out and played really well against great competition. State is the best of the best and we were excited to be there.”
The Tracys were the first Trenton tennis players to compete at the state tournament since Gott was a player and went to the state tournament in doubles with her partner, Christina (Woodard) Ferguson. Gott and Ferguson went 2-2 at state. It also marked the 12th time Trenton had qualified a girls individual or doubles team for the state tournament.
The season as a whole was a very successful one for the Lady Bulldogs, which finished the season 15-5 overall. Trenton picked up the district championship for a second season in a row and won the sectional championship.
This year’s Lady Bulldogs tennis team worked its way into the school record books with its 15-5 record. The 15 wins were the most in school history, surpassing the former record of 14, which was set in 2010 when the team went 14-7. In 2011, the team was 11-6 giving Trenton a three year record of 40-18, the best three-year stretch, record wise, in school history.
“We can’t describe how proud and excited we are for our tennis girls this year,” Gott said. “Finishing in the top eight in the state of Missouri speaks volumes about the level of tennis they displayed all season. We are really going to miss the seniors next year. They have been a great group of girls to coach.”
Of the six varsity starters, five were seniors. The Tracys, along with Maria Stevenson, Megan Sole and Magie Steinhoff will all graduate in May. Only Megan Derry, a junior this season, will return. Trenton had a successful junior varsity campaign as well this season, however, and should have some talent to rebuild with next year. The JV had a winning record on the season for a second year in a row. Trenton will need some players who were key to that success to step up next year. While there will surely be some growing pains with a nearly complete new lineup, Trenton’s tennis program should continue to see success going forward into the future.
