Other area teams struggle in 4A state girls' tennis

PUEBLO • While Cheyenne Mountain cruised during day one of the girls’ 4A state tennis tournament, other area teams found the competition to be tough sledding at Pueblo City Park on Thursday.

Air Academy, which had five players qualify, went winless against some tough competition. Jenna Milliman lost 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles to Jessika Mozia of Colorado Academy, and Claire Zombola dropped her No. 2 singles match to Loren Koszowski of St. Mary’s Academy by an identical score.

SEE A PHOTO GALLERY FROM DAY 1

Ashley Burnett fell in No. 3 singles to Colorado Academy’s Paige Klump 6-2, 7-5, and the Kadets’ No. 4 doubles tandem of Julia Madsen and Brooklyn Stern was 6-4, 6-4 losers to Maura Derr and Isabelle Stafford of Niwot.

Despite the 0-for-4 performance, Kadets coach Molly Reagan said the team could take some positives away from the experience.

“The great thing is that, out of the five girls who came, only one is a senior,” Reagan said.

“I just told them, ‘This is good experience, let’s just take it, build on it and make a goal to do even better next year.’ I’m definitely hoping we can get some playbacks and get another chance tomorrow.”

Milliman and Zombola are alive for playback matches and will play Friday if the players who defeated them win their semifinal matches Friday morning.

Other Colorado Springs schools also had trouble in doubles play.

At No. 1 doubles, Coronado’s Jessa Marra and Amanda Nickless came up short in a heartbreaking three-set battle against St. Mary’s Academy’s Rachel Haas and Elaina Villanueva. The Cougars, who are alive for playbacks, won the first set 6-4, but lost the last two 6-4, 6-4.

Colorado Springs School’s No. 2 doubles team of Maddy Mason and Tess Wegner lost in the first round, 6-3, 6-2, to Broomfield’s tandem of Michele Midanier and Marisa Eafanti, with Vanguard’s duo of Jaqueline Gutierrez and Gracie Williams falling by the same score to Steamboat Springs’ Brooke Metzler and Summer Smalley at No. 3 doubles.

Jessica Loper and Kaylene Squire of Cañon City lost at No. 4 doubles 6-2, 6-3 to Steamboat Springs’ Katie Spencer and Malia Fraioli.