Durango High School’s Aedan Hall and Kai Skowlund hoped for a longer stay at the state tennis championships Thursday in Pueblo but will have to wait and see if they get a second match.
Durango High School’s lone state qualifiers lost in the opening round of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Class 4A boys state tennis championships. Kent Denver’s Jack Domich and Casey Klutznick defeated Hall and Skowlund, 6-0, 6-0.
With a first-round loss, Hall and Skowlund will have to play the waiting game to see if they get a playback match Friday morning.
“We knew it was going to be tough, but we were keeping up with them and hitting well,” Hall said. “They came out really fast and strong, but we weren’t ready for it. We had a couple close games, and I think the score didn’t really tell the full story.”
“I don’t feel bad about being ‘bageled’” Hall said about being shut out. “I feel bad that we didn’t get a few games to go our way. We had a few games at deuce, and I think if we focused in a bit more, that could have been a much closer match because we know we’re capable of more.”
Skowlund, a sophomore, said that even with a tough result, he learned a lot from his first experience at the state meet.
“The outcome wasn’t necessarily what we wanted, but we played some decent tennis,” he said. “If we get a playback match, I’d like to go out there and be a little more intense and focused from the opening serve. (Kent Denver) was really good, and they weren’t rattled about being in a spot like that. I just was able to tune out the audience and tried to play my game.”
Looking ahead, DHS head coach Todd Jolley is already looking to implement a clear plan for more success at state.
“It’s definitely a great learning experience and is such a privilege to be here,” Jolley said. “We’re going to keep it up in winter, and the boys that aren’t playing a spring sport, we’ll have some scrimmages in Albuquerque. Plus, all of next summer we’re going to have open courts, so it won’t be guys who will be picking up a racket for the first time in early August.”
bploen@ durangoherald.com
