AURORA | Two years ago, the Vista PEAK girls tennis team failed to win a single match at the Colorado 7 championship tournament.
The Bison walked away from this season’s league tournament Tuesday at Utah Park with a whole slew of wins and second place place as a team.
Coach Simon Moorwood’s Vista PEAK team collected the first three league tennis championships in school history as No. 1 singles player Allison Embury, No. 2 singles player Danielle Klem and the No. 4 doubles team of Leisa Grumbles and Holly Edwards all prevailed in championship matches.
Embury — who finished second last season for the previous best league result for Vista PEAK — outlasted Englewood’s Addison Silfast 4-6, 6-2, 11-9 to win the No. 1 singles crown and she was also selected Colorado 7 Player of the Year.
“I’ve been working really hard for this, so I was nervous when it was so close at the end,” said Embury, who has just two losses on the season, both to 5A opponents. “I beat her before, but I honestly think I was a little too confident at first and I lost the first set. I got my head in it and pulled through.
“Winning league is really cool because nobody’s ever done it, but I also think it sets standards for the future. We have a lot of strong young players and hopefully this will help them, too.”
Shortly after Embury won her championship, Klem joined her with a tight straight sets win over Skyview’s Jillian Shew for the No. 2 singles crown. Klem came in as the No. 2 seed and won a tiebreaker in the opening set from top-seeded Shew, then claimed the second set 6-4.
Grumbles and Edwards came in undefeated in league play and kept that record intact with two more comfortable victories, including a 6-2, 6-4 decision over Skyview’s Priscilla Chavez and Kayla Revier in the championship match.
No. 3 singles player Jordyn Probst came up just short of making it 4-for-4 in championship matches for the Bison, as the junior lost a 12-10 third-set tiebreaker to Skyview’s Selena Aguiniga.
Vista PEAK had the most championships of any team and scored 52 points to finish six behind Skyview, which won titles at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles, with Fort Morgan — which captured No. 1 and No. 2 doubles — third with 48 points.
Seeded No. 5 coming in, Vista PEAK’s No. 1 doubles team of Kirsten Probst and Paxytnn Risk nearly knocked off top-seeded and event champions Rachel Carwin and Aurora Baca of Fort Morgan before falling in the semifinals, but took third with an 8-5 pro set win over a team from Weld Central.
The No. 2 doubles team of Madison Thompson and Aleni Carillo and the No. 4 duo of Natasha Thornton and Dianna Schaaf both placed fourth for the Bison.
Vista PEAK closes the season with dual matches against Rangeview on Wednesday and Cherokee Trail on Thursday before they play in Class 4A regionals next week as the program still seeks the first state tennis qualifier in school history.
“We’ve all been working really hard, so we’re pretty excited,” Embury said. “It’s always hard with Kent Denver at regionals, they are always really strong, but hopefully we can do it.”
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 COLORADO 7 GIRLS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team scores: 1. Skyview 58 points, 2. VISTA PEAK 52, 3. Fort Morgan 48, 4. Englewood 28, 5. Alameda 19, T6. Weld Central 14, T6. Fort Lupton 14
Championship matches
No. 1 singles — ALLISON EMBURY (VISTA PEAK) def. Addison Silfast (Englewood), 4-6, 6-2, 11-9; No. 2 singles — DANIELLE KLEM (VISTA PEAK) def. Jillian Shew (Skyview), 7-6 (3), 6-4; No. 3 singles — Selena Aguiniga (Skyview) def. JORDYN PROBST (VISTA PEAK), 3-6, 6-2, 12-10; No. 1 doubles — Rachel Carwin/Aurora Baca (Fort Morgan) def. Kelly Guzman/Mercy Aguilar (Skyview), 6-4, 4-6, 10-6; No. 2 doubles — Melissa Tolson/Alex Alcala (Fort Morgan) def. Izzy Garcia/Esthefania Moran (Skyview), 6-0, 6-1; No. 3 doubles — Maria Chavez/Yvette Macias (Skyview) def. Sintia Viezcas/Amaris Saldana (Fort Morgan), 6-4, 6-3; No. 4 doubles — LEISA GRUMBLES/HOLLY EDWARDS (VISTA PEAK) def. Priscilla Chavez/Kayla Revier (Skyview), 6-2, 6-4
Third-place matches
No. 1 singles — Leeah Ruf (Skyview) dec. Monica Avalos (Fort Morgan), 9-7; No. 2 singles — Leslie Krening (Englewood) dec. Aubre George (Fort Morgan), 8-5; No. 3 singles — Karissa Bird (Fort Morgan) def. Marissa Johnson (Englewood), 8-2; No. 1 doubles — KIRSTEN PROBST/PAXTYNN RISK (VISTA PEAK) def. Angelica Hester/Sabryne Meyers (Weld Central), 8-5; No. 2 doubles — Mikayla Norby/Prisila Gomez (Fort Lupton) def. MADISON THOMPSON/ALENI CARILLO (VISTA PEAK), 8-5; No. 3 doubles — Maryah Hoeftt/Haley Ebert (Englewood) def. NATASHA THORNTON/DIANNA SCHAAF (VISTA PEAK), 8-5; No. 4 doubles — Kiara Kembel/Breann Parks (Fort Morgan) def. Giselle Rocha/Sierra Melendez (Alameda), 8-1
Full round-by-round Colorado 7 Championship results, here.
