After competitive tennis action across Powell and Cody, both the Powell Panther girls’ and boys’ tennis teams finished sixth at the North Regional Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

The highest placement for either side came from Ryan Barrus at No. 2 singles, battling back from an opening match loss to finish third. After falling to Kelly Walsh’s Miles Romer 6-3, 6-3, he won three straight matches in the consolation bracket, including avenging the loss to Romer in the third place match with a 6-0, 6-2 win.

“A third place finish is the perfect way to use that regional tournament to have a little better seeding going into state,” coach Joe Asay said. “The big picture was that he continued to improve not just in his shot-making ability, but just playing really good, smart tennis and kind of settle in.”

Naomi Whipple won her opening match over Cody’s Brenna Foote 3-6, 6-0, 6-1, before losing to eventual champion Caroline Brokaw from Jackson 6-0, 6-2.

Whipple advanced to the third place match but fell to Thunder Basin’s Ellie Garcia 6-4, 6-1.

Bailee Allred also took fourth for the girls’ team, bouncing back from an opening round defeat to Kelly Walsh’s Olivia Wilson of 6-4, 6-1, to win two straight matches but eventually fell to Wilson once again 6-0, 6-4 in the third place match.

“Good results there for second and first girls’ singles,” Asay said.

Nathan Preator came up just short of placing at No. 1 singles for the boys, earning an opening round win of Kelly Walsh’s Bode Strand 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, before two close losses in his next two matches.

Isabelle Urbach and Kyra Morrow earned a win at No. 1 doubles after an opening round defeat, beating Jordyn Scott and Lily Kauffman from Natrona County 6-2, 6-1 in the first consolation round.

Elaina Kousoulos and Emily Jensen won their first match over Bente Somers and Bridget Anderson from Jackson 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, before two difficult defeats in the semifinals and consolation semifinals.

“Our two double girls, they’ve been as competitive as any of our spots,” Asay said. “Ultimately Elaina was not able to play that match against the Cody girls (in the consolation semifinals), where they’ve had some success twice during the season, but Leah Pittman stepped in well and that was a really good three set battle.”

The Panthers were unable to record any victories at any of the boys doubles positions as well as the No. 3 girls doubles.

Overall the Panther girls finished sixth as a team with 20 points, as Kelly Walsh took the top spot in a regional that featured a two point separation from first through third places.

The Powell boys tied for sixth with Kelly Walsh with 13 points, as Jackson won the team title by 12 points with 51.

STATE TOURNAMENT

Powell now heads back out on the road to the state tournament which is set to start on Thursday in Gillette and conclude on Saturday.

“They got a couple good matches here this weekend and hopefully they’ll be ready to come out and play this week at state,” Asay said. “We’re excited to see the kids get out there and compete.”

Due to scheduling, on Thursday, No. 2 doubles will be at the indoor courts at the Campbell County Recreation Center alongside No. 3 doubles as well as several No. 2 doubles matches at Campbell County High School. No. 2 doubles moves to Thunder Basin High School on Friday.

All of No. 1 singles will be at CCHS, No. 2 singles will be at TBHS as well as some No. 3 doubles matches which will move there from the rec center, while all of No. 1 doubles will be at Bicentennial Park in northern Gillette.

REGIONAL TENNIS RESULTS

GIRLS

Team scores — 1. Kelly Walsh 41, 2. Sheridan 40, 3. Thunder Basin 39, 4. Jackson 33, 5. Cody 23, 6. Powell 20, 7. Natrona County 19, 8. Campbell County 8

No. 1 singles Naomi Whipple — Whipple def. Brenna Foote (Cody) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1; Caroline Brokaw (Jackson) def. Whipple 6-0, 6-2; Whipple def. Whitney Bradfield (Kelly Walsh) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Ellie Garcia (Thunder Basin) def. Whipple 6-4, 6-1

No. 2 singles Bailee Allred — Olivia Wilson (Kelly Walsh) def. Allred 6-4, 6-1; Allred def. Emily Reed (Thunder Basin) 6-1, 6-4; Allred def. Annabel Millham (Jackson) 7-6, 6-3; Olivia Wilson (Kelly Walsh) def. Allred 6-0, 6-4

No. 1 doubles Isabelle Urbach/Kyra Morrow — Harper Maher/Sarah Horan (Jackson) def. Urbach/Morrow 6-4, 7-5; Urbach/Morrow def. Jordyn Scott/Lily Kauffman (Natrona County) 6-2, 6-1; Avery Ligocki/Abby Venn (Sheridan) def. Urbach/Morrow 6-2, 6-1

No. 2 doubles Elaina Kousoulos/Emily Jensen — Kousoulos/Jensen def. Bente Somers/Bridget Anderson (Jackson) 1-6, 6-4, 7-5; Emma Kendrick/Maria Bureo Latorre (Thunder Basin) def. Kousoulos/Jensen 6-3, 6-3; Hallie Despain/Kenley Stevens (Cody) def. Leah Pittman/Jensen 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

No. 3 doubles Noelle Leighton/Anna David — Emma Sherman/Kaidence Boyles (Kelly Walsh) def. Leighton/David 6-4, 7-5; Thais Canas/Sydney Schaffer (Campbell County) def. Leighton/David 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (8-10), 6-3

BOYS 

Team scores — 1. Jackson 51, 2. Sheridan 39, 3. Thunder Basin 35, 4. Cody 31, 5. Campbell County 30, T6. Kelly Walsh and Powell 13, 8. Natrona County 11

No. 1 singles Nathan Preator — Preator def. Bode Strand (Kelly Walsh) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Jaxon Richert (Campbell County) def. Preator 6-4, 6-3; Ben Bujans (Sheridan) def. Preator 6-3, 6-4

No. 2 singles Ryan Barrus — Miles Romer (Kelly Walsh) def. Barrus 6-3, 6-3; Barrus def. Josh Rayes (Natrona County) 6-1, 6-0; Barrus def. Leland Jenkins (Campbell County) 6-3, 6-1; Barrus def. Miles Romer (Kelly Walsh) 6-0, 6-2

No. 1 doubles Memphis Solberg/Calvin Opps — Jaden D’Amours/Will Freymann (Jackson) def. Solberg/Opps 6-1, 6-4; Thomas Gorman/Nathan Danford (Natrona County) def. Solberg/Opps 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

No. 2 doubles Isaac Dunsey/Kazdyn Lee — Hunter Bingham/Max Gentile (Jackson) def. Dunsey/Lee 6-0, 6-2; Talen Larson/Noah Dresang (Kelly Walsh) def. Dunsey/Lee 6-2, 6-0

No. 3 doubles Josh Waite/Jonathan Clark — Kyle Miller/Bridger Haigler (Natrona County) def. Waite/Clark 6-1, 6-1; Tayten Walker/Carlos Enriquez (Campbell County) def. Waite/Clark 6-1, 6-2

STATE MATCHUPS

No. 1 singles — Naomi Whipple vs. Aizlee Jenking (Rawlins); Nathan Preator vs. Heidan Cho (Laramie)

No. 2 singles — Bailee Allred vs. Maleea Cruz (Cheyenne East); Ryan Barrus vs. Matthew Wren (Rock Springs)

No. 1 doubles — Isabelle Urbach/Kyra Morrow vs. Smith/Krueger (Laramie); Memphis Solberg/Calvin Opps vs. Reed/Jones (Cheyenne Central)

No. 2 doubles — Elaina Kousoulos/Emily Jensen vs. Micheli/Woods (Cheyenne East); Isaac Dunsey/Kazdyn Lee vs. Collins/Spillman (Cheyenne Central)

No. 3 doubles — Noelle Leighton/Anna David vs. Saunders/Reed (Cheyenne Central); Josh Waite/Jonathan Clark vs. Bundy/Taylor (Green River)