Bison girls tennis players advance to third round at state before falling

Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School junior Brianna Watkins lost in third round Thursday at the Nebraska Class B state girls tennis tournament against No. 2 seed Uma Ravipati, Omaha Duchesne Academy, in two sets. [Click to enlarge]

nets 24 points

LINCOLN -- The McCook Bison girls tennis team placed all four entries into the third round of the Nebraska Class B state tournament Thursday at Lincoln.

Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School junior Hanah Swanhorst lost to No. 2 seed Catherine Tran, Omaha Duchesne Academy, in the third round of the Nebraska Class B state tournament Thursday at the Lincoln Tennis Center. [Click to enlarge]

All four Bison entries lost their third-round matches in the single elimination format, thus ending the season for McCook.

The Bison team was in fourth place after the first day of the state tournament with 24 points. Omaha Skutt Catholic was in first place with 34 points, followed by Omaha Duchesne Academy with 32 and Elkhorn 26.

Brianna Watkins, played No. 1 singles; Hanah Swanhorst, No. 2 singles; Melissa Lyster and Amy Lester, No. 1 doubles; and Cody Korus and Amy Been, No. 2 doubles. Each posted 2-1 records at state.

In No. 1 singles, Watkins defeated Alliance's Rut Kramerova 6-2, 6-2 in the first round and York's Jenna Hoffschneider 6-2, 6-0 in the second round.

Watkins lost to Omaha Duchesne's Uma Ravipati 6-1, 6-0 in the third round.

Watkins finished the season with a 26-20 record.

In No. 2 singles, McCook's Hanah Swanhorst defeated South Sioux City's Emily Jones 6-1, 6-0 in the first round and Alliance's AnnAlyssa Knopnicki 6-3, 6-0 in the second round.

Swanhorst lost to Omaha Duchesne's Catherine Tran 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the third round.

Swanhorst finished the season with a 30-16 record.

At No. 2 singles, Lyster and Lester defeated Omaha Gross Catholic's Samantha Regner and Samantha Becker 6-0, 6-1 in the first round and Lincoln Christian's Molly Andrews and Lenore Peterson 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the second round.

Lyster and Lester lost to Omaha Skutt's Christine Bolas and Julianne Kincaid 6-4, 6-2 in the third round.

Lyster and Lester finished the season with a sparkling 42-4 record.

At No. 2 doubles, Korus and Been needed five sets to defeat Adams Central's Brittany McWhirter and Breanna Bohlen 7-6, 3-7, 7-6, 7-3, 6-4 in the first round and defeated Omaha Roncalli's Karyn Bixler and Justine Long 6-3, 6-2 in the second round.

Korus and Been lost to Omaha Duchesne's Jennifer Engel and Kate Webb 6-0, 6-3 in the third round.

Korus and Been posted an impressive 38-8 record this season.

The state tournament semifinals and finals will take place today.

Class B girls state tennis first-day team scores: Omaha Skutt Catholic 34, Omaha Duchesne Academy 32, Elkhorn 26, McCook 24, Grand Island Central Catholic 20, Lexington 20, Beatrice 18, Kearney Catholic 18, Scottsbluff 18, Holdrege 14, Ogallala 14, Waverly 12, York 12, Hastings 10, Adams Central 8, Alliance 8, Omaha Roncalli Catholic 6, Ralston 6, Blair 4, Hastings St. Cecilia 4, Hershey 4, Lincoln Christian 4, Lincoln Pius X 4, Nebraska City 4, Wilber-Clatonia 4, Gretna 2, Norris 2, Omaha Brownell-Talbot 2, Omaha Gross Catholic 2, Crete 0, South Sioux City 0.