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PREP TENNIS: Ashland’s Miller, St. Mary’s duo reach semis By Mail Tribune staff Updated: May 20, 2022 10:32 PM A A Ashland freshman Veronica Miller and the St. Mary’s pairing of Pratheeka Weerakoon and Hannah Poisson advanced into today’s semifinal round at their respective girls tennis state tournaments Friday. Miller posted a 6-0, 6-0 win over Scappoose junior Sydney Liao in her first singles match of the 5A state championships at the Portland Tennis Center, then moved into the semifinal round with a steady 6-2, 6-3 victory over Redmond’s Naya Lewis in the quarterfinals. The Midwestern League champion advanced to next face top-seeded Kennedy Harris of La Salle Prep in today’s semis. Weerakoon and Poisson lived up to their second-seeded billing in the 4A/3A/2A/1A tourney, scoring a pair of imposing triumphs to reach today’s semifinal round at the Oregon State Tennis Complex in Corvallis. The St. Mary’s doubles team took down Stayton seniors Kassidy Strand and Charlotte Ritchie 6-1, 6-1 in their opening match and then posted another 6-1, 6-1 win in the quarterfinals over Maddie McLaughlin and Haley Ross of Marist. Poisson, a senior, and Weerakoon, a sophomore, will face No. 3-seeded Brenda Ramirez and Elsie Seals of Vale in the semis. St. Mary’s freshman Titus Stark-Seymour also won his debut match at state — 6-2, 6-4 over Ontario senior Dallin Berg — but came up short in the 4A/3A/2A/1A boys quarterfinals to Marist’s Kai Villano 6-0, 6-0. In other 4A/3A/2A/1A girls tennis action, St. Mary’s singles player Sunga Kim lost both matches Friday. Ashland girls doubles qualifiers Sofia Shelton and Tali Vivrett scored a thrilling win in their 5A opener at 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4) but couldn’t maintain that momentum against top-seeded Zoe Hughes and Kara Paterson of Crescent Valley and were eliminated in the quarterfinals 6-2, 6-0. In 5A boys doubles, Ashland’s Mina Schepmann and Ian Bower — the No. 2 seeds — suffered a 7-5, 6-3 first-round loss to West Albany’s Caleb Simpkins and Hudson Clark. The Grizzlies won 8-4 in the consolation quarterfinals to remain in contention for a consolation crown. In 4A/3A/2A/1A boys doubles, the St. Mary’s pairing of Jackson Lopiano and Calvin Chmelir lost 8-6, 6-3 in the first round to Vale’s Luke McGourty and John Wolfe and again in the consolation round and were eliminated. At the 6A level, South Medford senior Josue Maidana won 9-8 in the consolation quarterfinals to remain in contention in that bracket, while junior Stephen Wisnovsky suffered a loss in his consolation opener. tennis ball on a tennis court