Thanks largely to fabulous play for its doubles tandems, the Wood Cross girls tennis team had a strong showing at the Class 5A state tournament Oct. 5, 7. The Wildcats placed second with 45 points, behind only Olympus, which had 60 points. 

Both of the Wildcats’ doubles pairs won championships in their group, earning five points each for winning the title match. The doubles teams had already gotten nine points apiece by getting through the bracket to the championship round. 

First doubles teammates Ruby Robbins, a sophomore, and junior Sage Bergeson defeated Sadie Dowdell and Linda Findlay of Olympus 7-5, 6-0 to capture top honors in 5A. Before meeting the Olympus pair, Robbins and Bergeson shut out opponents from Timpview 6-0, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, they took down a pair from Wasatch 6-1, 6-0 after dispatching a team from Hunter 6-0, 6-1. 

The second doubles team from Woods Cross, freshman Lila Johnson and sophomore Sydney Kemp, was just as dominant. Their first match, in the round of 16, was a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of Viewmont’s Ella Naea and Mia Sneddon. This preceded a 6-1, 6-0 win over the team from Highland. In the semifinals, for the right to play for the finals, Johnson and Kemp shut down Bountiful’s Christina Eyring and Malea Wilson without allowing a point. 

On a roll, Johnson and Kemp played at their best when it counted most. The two teammates prevailed over a talented pair from Olympus to win the title 6-1, 6-4. 

In first singles, Emmy Richards, a junior, won two matches. She got a bye in the round of 32 and then defeated Bountiful’s Summer Willis 6-0 6-0 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, she won easily over an opponent from Timpview 6-0, 6-1. Lily Stohl, of Olympus, ended Richards’ season in the semifinals with a 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 victory. 

Second singles player Rachel Preston won two matches, earning some points for the Wildcats. She defeated an opponent from Granger in the round of 16 by the score of 6-0, 6-4. Later, she prevailed over her foe from Springville after a challenging start, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Her bid for a championship-match appearance ended in the semifinals with a loss to Olympus’ Emi Dowdell, the eventual champion, 6-0. 6-0. 

Third singles also had some success for Woods Cross, as freshman Lillie Bennion picked up a victory in the round of 16. She had little trouble with her opponent from West Jordan, winning 6-1, 6-1. This pitted Bennion against Skyline’s Elle Dykstra in the quarterfinals where she lost 7-5, 6-2. 

This was the second year in a row where the Wildcats placed second in the state tournament to Olympus. Woods Cross tied for the 5A title in 2021 and was third in 2020.