The Washington Lady Blue Lion tennis team had seven members compete in the Division II Sectional tournament Tuesday and Wednesday in Portsmouth.
Both Washington doubles teams advanced to the District tournament which will be held Wednesday, Oct. 12 beginning at 10 a.m. at Ohio University in Athens.
On Tuesday, at first singles, Sydnie Hall had a first round bye, then lost a tough match to Widdig from Wheelersburg 3-6, 0-6.
At second singles, Jen Richards lost in the first round to Conjeevaram from Athens, 0-6, 1-6.
At third singles, Gretchen Milstead lost in the first round in a tight match against Timmonds from Circleville, 4-6, 6-4, 2-6.
At first doubles, Anna Nestor and Megan Downing won in the first round, 6-0, 6-0 against Fish and Holt of Waverly and in the second round, Nestor and Downing beat Humphreys and Houser of Jackson, 6-1, 6-1, moving them on to Day 2.
At second doubles, Sierra Dawson and Maria Pickerill won their first and second round matches.
In the first round, it was a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Huffert and Winter of Circleville and in the second round, Dawson and Pickerill won a very competitive battle against the No. 4 seeded duo from Athens, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.
Washington coach Mitch Augenstein called the match amazing and said it was the best match of the season.
On Day 2 of the tournament, Nestor and Downing defeated a tandem from Logan Elm, 6-1, 6-0. That victory placed them in the winner’s bracket for seeding at the Districts against the No. 3 seed Gottfried and Stubbe of Marietta.
“It was a solid, pretty even match,” Augenstein said.
Washington lost that match, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 5-7. That put Nestor and Downing in the bracket for the third and fourth seed spots in the District.
Unseeded, but ready to fight, Dawson and Pickerill won their first match on the second day, 6-2, 6-1 over Portsmouth’s Hicks and Cartee.
That placed them in the top four winners bracket against the No. 1 seed Willard and Wars of Logan Elm. Logan Elm won that match, 6-0, 6-1.
That set up a match pitting Nestor and Downing against Dawson and Pickerill.
Nestor and Downing won that match, 6-0, 6-3, giving them the No. 3 seed at the District. Dawson and Pickerill will be a No. 4 seed at the District.
Washington is the only school to have both doubles teams moving on to the District tournament, Augenstein said.
Logan Elm is No. 1, Marietta is No. 2.
After the Washington pairs at 3 and 4, Athens second doubles team is seeded No. 5 and Portsmouth will be the No. 6 seed.
“Out of 32 doubles teams in our Sectional, our girls are third and fourth-best overall, which is amazing,” Augenstein said. “We couldn’t be more proud.”
