The season officially came to a close for the Trenton High School girls tennis team on Saturday as the Bulldogs took part in the Class 1, District 16 individual singles and doubles brackets. Trenton didn’t send anyone through to the state playoffs, but the Bulldogs didn’t come home empty handed either.
The doubles team of Emma Gilham and Lexi Gott returned with third-place medals from the doubles bracket after going 2-1 overall on the day. The Trenton duo opened the tournament with a 6-2, 6-3 win over a LeBlond team to advance to the semifinals.
It was in the semifinals, where the team’s hopes of a run to state were dashed, however. A St. Joseph-Benton tandem handed Gilham and Gott a 4-6, 6-2, 3-6 loss to send the Trenton duo to the third-place match. Only the top two doubles teams and top two singles players advance through districts.
Despite the semifinal loss, Gilham and Gott bounced back with a victory in the third-place match, defeating a Maryville team 6-3, 6-3 to earn the third-place doubles medals.
Trenton’s other players went one and done at the event. Kendall Crowley and Morgan Dolan were defeated 5-7, 6-2, 1-6 in the first round of the doubles bracket, while Elle Neal lost 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round of the singles bracket and Latorrie Johnson was defeated 6-2, 6-4 in her singles opener.
“All of the girls played hard and did their best,” Trenton Coach Tammy Ockenfels said. “That’s all a coach can ask from their team. Emma and Lexi came together as a doubles team throughout the season and finished their season as third-place medalists and all-district honors.”
The Bulldogs will be looking to replace three of its top four players next season as Saturday’s individual districts marked the end of Gilham, Neal and Johnson’s careers with the Bulldogs. The other three varsity players will return however, giving Trenton a good base to start with in 2019.
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