CHARLESTON -Parkersburg High School's girls tennis team is still in the hunt for the Class AAA state tennis championship.
After two days of competition here, the Big Reds find themselves trailing Huntington in the team standings.
But Parkersburg has enough competitors in the finals-not to mention four head-to-head matches against Huntington -that the Big Reds can bring home the title if things fall their way.
It was a good Friday for PHS, which advanced three individuals and two doubles teams into today's finals, which get under way at 8 a.m.
PHS finalists include:
The Big Reds No. 1 doubles team of Prince and Keiser was defeated by Morgantown's Arnold and Abby Rosiello, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Fact Box
STATE TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Class AAA
At Coonskin Park
BOYS
Team scoring: Huntington 15; George Washington 10; Morgantown 7; Hurricane 6; Washington 4; Parkersburg South, Martinsburg 3; Lewis County, Capital, John Marshall, Wheeling Park, Fairmont Senior, Parkersburg 1; Logan, Brooke, Musselman, Jefferson, University 0.
No. 1 singles - Semifinals: Schulz-Mullensiefen (Morg) d. Davis (Mart) 6-2, 6-3; Tubert (Hunt) d. Koenig (GW) 6-0, 6-4.
No. 2 singles - Semifinals: A. Clay (Hurr) d. Brandon Galici (PSth) 6-0, 6-0; Skolik (Hunt) d. Massinople (GW) 6-1, 6-1.
No. 3 singles - Semifinals: J. Clay (Hunt) d. Yao (Morg) 6-0, 6-1; Murphy (GW) d. Thomas (Wash) 6-2, 6-3.
No. 4 singles - Semifinals: Wu (Morg) d. Roth (Wash) 6-0, 6-1; Wright (Hunt) d. Thomas (GW) 6-2, 6-0.
No. 1 doubles - Quarterfinals: Schulz-Mullensiefen-Yao (Morg) d. Matt Gnegy-Ashton Whiteleather (Park) 8-3; Clay-Bailey (Hurr) d. Wheatley-Haglund (Wash) 9-8, (7-3); Tubert-Skolik (Hunt) d. Davis-Hamilton (Mart) 8-0; Koenig-Thomas (GW) d. Sivakumuran 8-2.
Semifinals: Clay-Bailey d. Mullensiefen-Yao 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Tubert-Skolik d. Koenig-Thomas 6-0, 6-2.
No. 2 doubles - Quarterfinals: Chiarlo-Marra (WP) d. Butler-Butts (Mus) 8-5; Wright-Gilliam (Hunt) d. Howerton-Norman (Log) 8-3; Thomas-Roth (Wash) d. Paul-Gutierrez (Univ) 8-2; Massinople-Hudson (GW) d. Saaman Ghodsi-Alexander D'Costa (Park) 8-5.
Semifinals: Wright-Gilliam d. Chiarlo-Marra 6-3, 6-2; Massinople-Hudson d. Thomas-Roth 6-0, 6-0.
No. 3 doubles - Semifinals: Irving/Coomler (Wash) d. McKnight-Pan (Morg) 6-0, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0; Clay-Neighborgall (Hunt) d. Murphy-Jones (GW) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
GIRLS
Team scoring: Huntington 14; Parkersburg 13; University 7: Morgantown 5; Washington, Wheeling Park, Hurricane, George Washington 3; Cabell Midland, Lewis County 1; Brooke, St. Albans, Logan, John Marshall, Greenbrier East, Martinsburg, Ripley, Capital, Riverside, Buckhannon-Upshur, Hampshire 0.
No. 1 singles - Semifinals: Sloane Prince (Park) d. Arnold (Morg) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Mercer (Hunt) d. Petrini (WP) 8-0.
No. 2 singles - Semifinals: Huck (Hunt) d. McKnight (Hurr) 6-3, 6-2; Cassandra Powell (Park) d. Zerkel (Univ) 6-0, 6-0.
No. 3 singles - Semifinals: McGuffin (Hunt) d. Rees (Univ) 6-3, 6-1; Monika Keiser (Park) d. Sirbaugh (Wash) 6-1, 6-1.
No. 4 singles - Semifinals: Littleton (Wash) d. Seamon (Univ) 7-5, 6-4; Subik (Hunt) d. Prokity (GW) 6-3, 7-5.
No. 1 doubles - Quarterfinals: Arnold-Rosiello (Morg) d. Yoa-McKnight (Hurr) 8-1; Prince-Keiser (Park) d. Pittinger-Sirbaugh (Wash) 8-1; Mercer-Huck (Hunt) d. Rees-Rees (Univ) 8-0; White-Skaff (GW) d. Petrini-Hone (WP) 9-7.
Semifinals: Arnold-Rosiello d. Prince-Keiser 7-5, 4-6, 6-1; Mercer-Huck d. White-Skaff 6-2, 6-1.
No. 2 doubles - Quarterfinals: Zerkel-Seamon (Univ) d. Robinson-Keesling (Hamp) 8-2; Powell-Stansberry (Park) d. Rodbert-King (Cap) 8-1; Spuria-Littleton (Wash) d. Patterson-Capehart (WP) 8-5; McGuffin-Hutchison (Hunt) d. Teed-Prokity (GW) 8-5.
Semifinals: Powell-Stansberry d. Zerkel-Seamon 7-5, 6-0; McGuffin-Hutchison d. Spuria-Littleton 6-1, 6-0.
No. 3 doubles - Semifinals: Rassekh-Chico (Univ) d. Barr-Banfield (Wash) 6-4, 6-4; Amber Kesterson-Jennifer Riffle (Park) d. Walker-Thakkar (GW) 6-1, 6-0.
Class AA-A
At Schoenbaum Tennis Courts, Kanawha City
BOYS
Team scoring: Charleston Catholic 15; Oak Hill, Bluefield 7; St. Joseph 6; Lincoln, Moorefield 3; Madonna, Keyser, Wheeling Central, Poca, Oak Glen, Shady Spring 2; Petersburg 1; Braxton County, Sissonville, Parkersburg Catholic, Liberty Raleigh, Chapmanville, Grafton, Williamstown, Berkeley Springs 0.
No. 1 singles - Semifinals: Meade (SJ) d. N. Conforti (Mad) 6-1, 6-3; Cassis (CC) d. Holliday (OH) 6-0, 6-0.
No. 2 singles - Semifinals: White (OH) d. Newman (Poca) 6-2, 6-0; Centofanti (CC) d. Lovern (Blue) 6-1, 6-4.
No. 3 singles - Semifinals: Malas (CC) d. Haley (WC) 6-0, 6-0; Hampton (Blue) d. Whitlock (Key) 6-3, 6-2.
No. 4 singles - Semifinals: Gump (Linc) d. Lee (WC) 6-2, 6-2; Standish (CC) d. Albaugh (SSp) 6-1, 6-2.
No. 1 doubles - Quarterfinals: Lovern-Hampton (Blue) d. Conforti-Conforti (Blue) 8-6; Meade-Brooks (SJ) d. Wratchford-Spencer (Key) 8-5; Cassis-Malas (CC) d. Fitzwater-Wolfe (Moor) 8-0; Holliday-White (OH) d. Alt-Lomasney (Pete) 8-6.
Semifinals: Meade-Brooks d. Lovern-Hampton 7-6 (7-4) 6-1; Cassis-Malas d. Holliday-White 6-1, 6-0.
No. 2 doubles - Quarterfinals: Whitlock-Shumaker (Key) d. Haley-Lee (WC) 8-4; Centofanti-Standish (CC) d. Heath-Heath (OH) 8-0; DeMick-Gump (Linc) d. Ryan Leo-Alex Gedon (Wtown) 9-7; Albaugh-Buckland (SSp) d. Sigman-Finney (Poca) 9-8 (7-3).
Semifinals: Centofanti-Standish d. Whitlock-Shumaker 6-0, 6-1; Albaugh-Buckland d. DeMick-Gump 6-1, 6-3.
No. 3 doubles - Semifinals: Davey-Wratchford (Moor) d. Bennett-Adkins (OG) 6-4, 6-3; Whipkey-Canfield (CC) d. Bracken-Gray (OH) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).
GIRLS
Team scoring: Charleston Catholic 15; Poca, Wheeling Central 7, Parkersburg Catholic 6; Ritchie County 4; Ravenswood 3; Bluefield, St. Joseph, Wyoming East, Petersburg, Shady Spring 2; Grafton, Lincoln 1; Berkeley Springs, Independence, Williamstown, Chapmanville, Moorefield, Oak Glen, Sissonville, Liberty Harrison, Keyser 0.
No. 1 singles - Semifinals: Ariel Shulman (PC) d. Ballard (Poca) 6-0, 6-0; Maddox (CC) d. Killmer (SSp) 6-0, 6-0.
No. 2 singles - Semifinals: J. Capito (WC) d. Mobley (Poca) 6-2, 6-2; Hamilton (CC) d. Taylor Youell (Rav) 6-0, 6-0.
No. 3 singles - Semifinals: Centofanti (CC) d. Alexander (Graf) 6-4, 6-2; Roby (Pete) d. Jenkins (WC) 6-2, 6-1.
No. 4 singles - Semifinals: Gompers (WC) d. McIntire (LibH) 6-2, 6-4; Grubb (CC) d. Schriener (WE) 6-1, 7-5.
No. 1 doubles - Quarterfinals: Veronica Mueller-Olivia Haught (Rit) d. Chafin-Cook (WE) 8-2; Celorio-Ballard (Poca) d. Bunch-Welsh (LibH) 8-3; Maddox-Hamilton d. Shulman-Jordan Wiseman (PC) 8-2; Capito-Capito (WC) d. Taylor-Spencer (Ind) 8-4.
Semifinals: Celorio-Ballard d. Mueller-Haught 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3; Maddox-Hamilton d. Capito-Capito 6-1, 6-3.
No. 2 doubles - Quarterfinals: Youell-McNabb (Rav) d. DiCarlo/Foster (KHS) 8-2; Grubb-Centofanti (CC) d. Harris-Bowman (Ind) 8-5; Jillie Wiseman-Erica Tracewell (PC) d. Alexander-Thorn (Graf) 9-7; Lovern-Bailey (Blue) d. Arthur-Mobley (Poca) 8-3.
Semifinals: Grubb-Centofanti d. Youell-McNabb 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5); Lovern-Bailey d. Wiseman-Tracewell 6-3, 6-4.
No. 3 doubles - Semifinals: Kate Clowes-Audry Eisenmann (PC) d. Rascon-Freeburn (KHS) 6-2, 6-1; Whalen-Bandak (CC) d. Ratcliff-Deane (Ind) 6-2, 6-2.
The boys representatives of PHS and Parkersburg South were eliminated on Friday.
South's last player, No. 2 singles Brandon Galici, dropped a 6-0, 6-0 decision to Alex Clay of Hurricane. Meanwhile, Parkersburg's No. 1 doubles team -Matt Gnegy and Ashton Whiteleather -lost 8-3 to Morgantown's Max Schulz Mullensiefen and Raymon Yao. The Big Reds No. 3 doubles team, composed of Saaman Ghodsi and Alexander D'Costa, lost 8-5 to Ryan Massinople and Casey Hudson.
Class AA/A
Parkersburg Catholic freshman sensation Ariel Shulman will play Charleston Catholic's Mary Emma Maddox today for the Class AA/A No. 1 singles crown.
Shulman breezed to straight set 6-0 wins against her semifinal opponent Molly Ballard of Poca during Friday's semifinals.
"She has not faced Maddox this year. She faced her in doubles today and they got a little look against each other, but they've never played singles against each other," said PCHS head coach Ignacio Cardenas. "I think right now she's relaxed and ready to play and get it over with."
Shulman and Crusaderette teammate Jordan Wiseman were ousted from the No. 1 doubles competition after falling 8-2 to Maddox and fellow Irish partner Claire Hamilton in the quarterfinals.
The news also wasn't good for the PCHS No. 2 doubles tandem of Jillie Wiseman and Erica Tracewell. Although they knocked off Brittany Alexander and Savannah Thorn of Grafton, 9-7, in the quarterfinals, the Crusaderettes had their season come to a close after falling 6-3, 6-4 to Bluefield's Molly Lovern and Claire Bailey.
Coach Cardenas' squad will have a chance to win at No. 3 doubles thanks to Kate Clowes and Audry Eisenmann knocking off Carolina Rascon and Megan Freeburn of Keyser, 6-2 and 6-1. They will face Charleston Catholic's Anna Whalen and Catherine Bandak.
"They have played awesome and they really did shine today," coach Cardenas said of his No. 3 doubles. "For freshmen they play with a lot of poise and they have made very few errors. They've really stepped up to the plate and I think we can play with these girls."
The undefeated season of Ravenswood No. 2 doubles partners Taylor Youell and Bess McNabb was ended after suffering a tough 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) setback to the Charleston Catholic duo of Ellie Grubb and Christina Centofanti in the semifinals. Youell and McNabb advanced by knocking off Keyser's Elena Di Carlo and Haley Foster, 8-2.
Ritchie County's No. 1 doubles squad of Veronica Mueller and Olivia Haught bested Megan Cook and Whitney Chafin of Wyoming East, 8-2, but then lost in the semifinals to Poca's Ballard/Julia Celorio by scores of 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (3-7) and 6-3.
Youell also fell in No. 2 singles action in straight 6-0 sets to Charleston Catholic's Hamilton.
In Class AA/A boys action, Williamstown's Ryan Leo and Alex Gedon came up a little short in the No. 2 doubles quarterfinals and suffered a 9-7 defeat at the hand of Lincoln's Brian DeMick and Ryan Gump.
Charleston Catholic's boys and girls already have the state titles sewn up. The PCHS girls have six points and currently trail Poca and Wheeling Central, which are tied for second with seven points apiece.
