Clarke girls tennis wins Knoxville Invitational

KNOXVILLE — Clarke girls tennis team easily ran away with the team title at the Knoxville Invitational here April 20, winning the tournament with 32 team points. Pella finished second with 12 points.

Teams were awarded three points for a doubles victory and two points for a singles victory.

Clarke junior Kylar McCann won the singles championship, defeating senior teammate Kelli Ehrhardt 8-6 in the championship match.

Both players received opening round byes. McCann, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, cruised her way the championship match, winning matches by scores of 8-0 and 8-2 in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

Ehrhardt, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, won 8-0 in the quarterfinals before defeating Centerville’s Kenzie Richmond 9-8 (7-4) in the semifinals.

With her two wins in the tournament, Ehrhardt became Clarke’s all-time career leader in victories.

Clarke also brought home the doubles championship, with the No. 1-seeded team of Samantha Roemer and Libby Bemis rolling through the competition with victories of 8-5, 8-0 and 8-2.

Roemer and Bemis defeated No. 2-seeded team of Emily Lee and Kassie Griggs from Knoxville in the championship match.

The Clarke doubles team of Tracy Morgan and Breana Sitzman, seeded third in the tournament, took third place.

Morgan and Sitzman defeated the team of Juella Gerber and Julia Stuckey from Pella 8-5 in the quarterfinals before losing to Lee and Griggs 8-2 in the semifinals.

Knoxville Invitational

Team standings — 1. Clarke 32; 2. Pella 12; 3. Knoxville 11; 4. Centerville 4; 5. Davis County 8; 6. Chariton 3.

Singles

Quarterfinals — Kelli Ehrhardt (Clarke) def. Janel Fenton (Davis County) 8-0; Kylar McCann (Clarke) def. Paige Stewart (Knoxville) 8-0.

Semifinals — Ehrhardt (Cl) def. Kenzie Richmond (Centerville) 9-8 (7-4); McCann (Cl) def. Jessie Ryals (Pella) 8-2.

Finals — McCann (Cl) def. Ehrhardt (Cl) 8-6.

Doubles

Quarterfinals — Samantha Roemer-Libby Bemis (Clarke) def. Tiffany Carter-Zoey Verner (Pella) 8-5; Tracy Morgan-Breana Sitzman (Clarke) def. Juella Gerber-Julia Stuckey (Pella) 8-5.

Semifinals — Roemer-Bemis (Cl) def. Kari Wutirich-Megan Joos (Davis County) 8-0; Emily Lee-Kassie Griggs (Knoxville) def. Morgan-Sitzman (Cl) 8-2.

Consolation finals — Morgan-Sitzman (Cl) def. Wutirich-Joos (DC) 8-3.