Shorewood girls tennis qualify four players for state

 District 1 champions l to r: Sophia Serwold, Lindsay Rand, Rylie Gettmann, Coach Arnie Moreno, Emma Nelson, Emma Okamura, Emily Lin. Photo by Arnie Moreno

The Shorewood Girls tennis team took six players to the District 1 tennis tournament with high hopes and won the team championship and qualified four players to the state tournament in Richland, Washington May 27th and 28th. 

The week before the team finished with a complete sweep in singles and doubles finals: Emily Lin and Rylie Gettmann in singles and Lindsay Rand / Sophia Serwold and Emma Okamura / Emma Nelson in doubles.

The District tournament is a region-wide tournament that includes schools from WesCo North and Northwest Conference (Skagit and Whatcom counties).

The competition was the best the Shorewood team had seen all year with many great players and matches. 

They knew they had to raise their level of game and be consistent in order to win. With strong support from their teammates, parents and friends they battled in every match. 

By the end of the first day they were in position to advance to state all six players and in the lead for the team championship.

 
The second day the team not only had tough opponents, they had to deal with gusty wind conditions with gusts up to 25 miles per hour. Shorewood players were determined to stay focused on their goals of qualifying for the state tournament and placing in the top four.

Rylie Gettman, District 1 singles champion
Photo by Arnie Moreno

Rylie Gettmann, freshman, played aggressively and was unfazed by her opponents. She was able to secure a spot in the singles final versus a top-rated player from Edmonds-Woodway. Gettmann won a tense first set tie-breaker 7-6 ( 7- 3 ), then took control with precision shots that placed her opponent on defense throughout the match.

Emily Lin bounced back after her first loss in the semi-final round to take third with a great overall court game and defeat her Arlington opponent.

The doubles teams were on schedule to advance but Emma Nelson and Emma Okamura lost a very tough match versus a surprising Mountlake Terrace team that placed fourth the week before. Nelson and Okamura finished in 6th place. 

Coach Arnie Moreno told them that he expected they would be back to the District tournament next year and would not be surprised if they win it. The two sophomores will be one of the top returning doubles teams in league and district next season.

 

Shorewood's doubles team of Lindsay Rand and Sophia Serwold had played singles for 90 percent of the season. They won the WesCo South league doubles championship the week before and came to the tournament with lots of confidence. They came together to take their shot at making state in doubles. Their great shot-making and strong all court games, along with great on court chemistry and communication, carried them to third place and a spot in the state tournament.

Coach Arnie Moreno is extremely proud of the high level of tennis, sportsmanship, consistency, taking on all challengers and how they had fun playing a great game. 

They will now join the elite group of tennis players that will compete at the WIAA State tournament. Shorewood boys, also District 1 Champs, had also qualified in the Fall. Doubles teams, Ethan Farley / Blake Gettmann and Ben Borgida / David Lin, will join the Shorewood girls' team at the state tournament. 

This will be one of the largest groups of players to represent Shorewood and Shoreline at the state tournament.

3A DISTRICT 1 TOURNAMENT
At Snohomish H.S.

Singles championship

Rylie Gettmann (Shorewood) def. Paige Oliver (Edmonds-Woodway) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. 

Singles 3rd/4th place

Emily Lin (Shorewood) def. Sidney Wright (Meadowdale) by default. 

Singles 5th/6th place

Brooke Asper (Marysville Pilchuck) def. Mackenzie Caple (Arlington) 6-1, 6-2. 

Doubles championship

Emerson Norris-Hannah Wells (Snohomish) def. Halle Burt-Lilly Thompson (Everett) 6-3, 5-7, 6-0. 

Doubles 3rd/4th place

Lindsay Rand-Sophia Serwold (Shorewood) def. Shalom Abi-Lindsey Ho (Mountlake Terrace) by default. 

Doubles 5th/6th place

Anna Kowalchyk-Katie Stern (Snohomish) def. Emma Nelson-Emma Okamura (Stanwood) 6-4, 4-6, 10-4.

*Top 4 finishers to state