Laramie Tennis Heads to State in Different Role [VIDEO]

Laramie High School tennis has brought home quite a bit of hardware from the Wyoming High School State Tennis Championships the last five or six years.

Heading into the 2018 championships in Gillette, both Laramie teams are in a bit of a different role. It’s been a season of learning and adjusting. The Plainsmen come off a third-place finish at the South Regional Championships last weekend in Rock Springs, while the Lady Plainsmen placed fourth.

Laramie head coach Elizabeth Clower said last weekend was productive in certain ways.

“I feel like we grew up, maybe, in a few places, learned some lessons that we needed to learn, thankfully before this weekend, so we’ll see what happens.”

Clower switched around the Laramie girls’ lineup earlier in the season and then did the same thing with the boys’ just a few weeks ago.

She says we always go for the gold.

“Realistically, (we’re looking) at top four. I think we can do it. I think we can do the top four, and if we get the right things to happen at the right time, then we can do a state championship.”

Two individuals that will be vying for a title this weekend are senior Chloe Jenkins and junior Kyle Moore. Jenkins was part of the No. 1 doubles team that won a regional title last week, while Moore has the two seed at No. 1 singles. They both visited with KOWB’s David Settle about the state championships, their keys, and so much more.

Clower feels getting past the first round is the key and says the seeding in the brackets didn’t surprise her.

The toughest draws for the Lady Plainsmen are with their two singles players. Hannah Brin faces the top seed in Kelly Walsh’s Finley Klinger. Grace Dorrell drew Sierra Sanders of Powell. At No. 1 doubles, France and Jenkins will face Castellanos and Chang of Campbell County. Huang and Woelk at No. 2 doubles get Riverton’s Bass and McDonald. Finally, at No. 3 doubles, Cox and Dennis drew Natrona’s Galles and Smith.

In the boys’ draw, Moore at No. 1 singles faces Mark Bullerdick of Cody. Caleb Callahan at No. 2 singles drew Reed Rabon of Sheridan. The No. 1 doubles tandem of Dreiling and Li will play Boatright and Radosevich of Natrona in the first round. Bury and Heinz at No. 2 doubles take on Hunt and Cox from Powell. Then at No. 3 doubles, you have Abdelkader and Buchanan will play Holt and Miller of Thunder Basin.

Tennis will be played at Campbell County High School, Thunder Basin High School, and the Campbell County Recreation Center.

Action will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day.