For the first time since 2017, the Durango High School girls tennis team is returning from the state championships with some medals.
Rachel Ager and Avery Edgar reached the podium at No. 3 doubles with a third-place finish at the Class 4A state tournament to lead the Durango Demons on Friday and Saturday at the Pueblo City Park.
Ager and Edgar started the tournament with a 6-0, 6-3 win against Golden’s Lhotta/Robinson. They lost in the quarterfinals to McMorrow and Lawrence of Mullen, 6-2, 6-4, but got pulled back into the playbacks when Mullen advanced to the championship.
The DHS duo then won against Greeley Central by withdraw. In the consolation semifinals, with a spot on the podium on the line, Ager and Edgar beat Otteson and Takken of Thompson Valley 7-5, 6-1, to reach the third-place match.
Ager and Edgar then won their third consecutive match to place third, beating Dakota Ridge’s Seifert/Seifert duo 6-1, 7-5.
Adwyn Chowen and doubles duo Sydney Pritchard and Lola Bradshaw both finished one win away from the podium for DHS.
At No. 2 doubles, Bradshaw and Pritchard started the tournament with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Air Academy’s Stahnke and Denny. They lost to the eventual state champs from Cheyenne Mountain, Ballenger and Lewis, in the second round 7-6, 6-2.
In the first round of playbacks, Bradshaw and Pritchard took down Pueblo County’s Tucker and Valentine 6-1, 6-2.
They then squared off with Kent Denver’s Goldmanis/Pina in the playback semifinals, but fell 6-3, 6-2.
Chowen also finished one win away from placing at No. 2 singles. Chowen beat Maddie Thompson of Lewis-Palmer in the first round, 6-4, 7-5. In the second round she fell to finalist Sahasra Kolli of Niwot, 6-0, 6-2.
Chowen, however, came back and scored a win against Lily Mullins of Thomas Jefferson to reach the playback semifinals, but lost to Lilly Evans of Mullen 6-0, 6-3 to finish just off the podium.
Durango competed in the state championships at two other positions as well.
Ellie Davenport lost her first-round match at No. 1 singles, 6-1, 6-1 against Sophie Zhou of Cheyenne Mountain. Zhou eventually reached the third-place match, but she lost in the semifinals so Davenport didn’t get pulled back into the tournament.
Ellie McLean and Juliet DiGiacomo went into a third set in their first-round match at No. 1 doubles. The DHS duo, however, eventually fell to Walters and Brouillette of Mullen 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. The Mullen pair eventually reached the third-place match, but lost to the eventual state champs from Kent Denver in the second round so DHS didn’t qualify for the playbacks.
