Clarks earn third straight regional title

Wayne County Outlook

Monticello May 13, 2008 04:19 pm

— The Wayne County Girls Tennis Team competed in the 12th Region Girls
Tournament last weekend, and they left their mark on the event. The Clark
sisters, Ceysha and Casi, earned their third straight regional title in
doubles and overall, the team claimed its highest ranking in program history
as they finished third.
"I was just elated by this season...This is the best our team has ever
finished in the region," said Coach Hardin Phillips. "The Clarks are a
perfect 19-0 in doubles for the season, and they are going to the state
again...To win a regional championship once in any sport is hard, but to win
it three times in a row is unbelievable."
The girls regional tennis event got underway Friday at Berea. Each
school in the region could enter two doubles teams and two singles in the
event. On Friday, three Wayne County teams came away with wins, including
two in singles competition and one in doubles competition.
In singles competition, Emily Eicher beat Chelsey Atwater from Berea in
her opening match and advanced to meet the number one-seeded player in the
region, Cee Cee Witten of Boyle County. Eicher lost her match on Saturday to
Witten, who is considered among the elite tennis players in the state.
Also in action on Friday, Wayne County's Nicole Davis defeated Tiffany
Noe, of Southwestern, to advance to the second round. Davis lost to the
number two-seeded player in the region, Haley Hart from Lincoln County, in
the next round played on Saturday.
Wayne County's doubles team of Whitney Neal and Brittany Chaplin won
their match against Pulaski County's Burkett and Way on Friday. Neal and
Chaplin lost to Casey County's Overstreet and True in action on Saturday.
The Clark sisters, who were rated as the top doubles team in the region,
received a first round bye and did not take the court until Saturday. They
defeated the team of Patel and Wilson from Somerset and advanced to play
Casey County's team of Ponder and Price. A win over the Casey County players
put the Clarks in the semifinal round on Sunday.
The tournament moved inside to Eastern Kentucky University on Saturday.
The Clarks defeated Danville's team of Polinerdio and Nelson to advance to
the championship match against the Daley sisters from Mercer County.
It was sisters against sisters in the championship match and the Clarks
came away with their third regional title. They will advance to the state
tournament which is set for May 22-25 in Lexington.
The last two years the Clarks have been unrated entering state
competition, but Phillips hopes that changes this year. With their
undefeated record and their third consecutive regional championship,
Phillips hopes the sisters are ranked in the top 16 at the state tournament.
Meanwhile, it is the boys turn this week. Wayne County's Boys Tennis
Team will compete in the regional tournament this weekend at Berea.