Union City Tennis Continues Tradition at District 13-A Tournament
The Union City boys and girls tennis had an outstanding performance at the District 13-A Tournament at UT-Martin. (photos: Mike Hutchens – School Communications Director)
The tradition continues.
Adding to its illustrious tennis history that has spanned more than three decades, Union City claimed both the girls’ singles and doubles District 13A championships Tuesday at UT Martin.
School Communications Director Mike Hutchens said freshman Bertie Jenkins stunned the singles field, knocking off No. 2 seed Jenna Magee (6-4, 6-2) of Greenfield in the semifinals before then capping her magical run with a straight-sets 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Huntingdon’s Lexie Stevens in the finals.
Playing with tremendous confidence and poise, Jenkins – who played at the No. 5 seed for most of the season for the Lady Tornadoes – did not lose a single set in her three tournament matches.
The top-seeded doubles team of Shelby Bondurant and Molly Kizer won an all-Union City championship round, beating No. 2 Dani and Davey Frankum 6-3, 6-3. Both Lady Tornado duos earlier won their semifinal matches Tuesday, the Frankum sisters – last year’s district champs – cruising past Greenfield’s Courtney Matthews and Ginny Archie 6-1, 6-2.
Bondurant and Kizer, the pre-tourney favorites, withstood a first-set challenge by Obion Central’s Hannah Strauser and Hannah Taylor in the semis, winning a tiebreaker 8-6 before completing the triumph with a 6-2 victory in the second set.
Union City’s boys’ tandem of Gavin Pledge and Charleton Wisener – the second seed – made it to the tourney finals with a semifinal victory over Obion Central’s Braden Elam and Sam Cunningham (6-0, 6-1) before dropping a hard-fought championship tilt to Huntingdon’s Seth Ricketts and Shawn Simpson. Ricketts and Simpson won a tiebreaker 10-2 after the two teams split the first two sets.
All seven Union City players who made it to Tuesday’s finals will advance on to the individual regional tournament on May 15 and 16.
