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CLOUDY Temp: 56 °F Wind: WNW at 8 mph Saturday, June 21, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend May 25, 2003 North Medford�s Annie Chaney, third from the left, and Shannon Leever, far right, shake hands with Churchill�s Janae King and Lindsay Wiechert following their 6-0, 6-1 victory in Saturday�s Class 4A doubles final. Crowning achievement North’s doubles team of Leever and Chaney cap their prep careers with a Class 4A title By DAVID BALL for the Mail Tribune BEAVERTON — North Medford seniors Shannon Leever and Annie Chaney wrapped up their high school tennis careers by playing a flawless match Saturday to win the Class 4A state doubles championship at Tualatin Hills Recreation Center. The top-seeded Black Tornado duo won the most lopsided decision of the day, beating No. 3 Janae King and Lindsay Wiechert of Churchill, 6-0, 6-1. Leever and Chaney started fast, winning the opening coin toss and electing to serve. Advertisement Leever made the most of the opportunity, firing three solid serves that the Lancers couldn’t get back over the net. That set the tone for match, as North Medford needed just 15 minutes to close out the first set. "We didn’t come into the match expecting anything, but once we got those first few games, we knew we were on a roll," Chaney said. They carried that momentum into the second set, this time with Chaney firing back-to-back aces through the middle of the court. Churchill finally broke up the shutout by winning the 11th game of the match, but the Lancers would never get close enough to scare their opponents. "Tennis is a game where you can have major comebacks, so we had to keep our focus," Leever said. The Tornado responded in the next game, taking command 5-1 when Leever shifted her feet at the last moment and fired a perfectly disguised winner down the right alley. A few minutes later, Leever had a couple chances to end the match but suffered a pair of double faults that kept the Churchill tandem on the court. Leever, however, quickly amended for her miscues, closing out match point by charging to the center of the court and firing a backhand at Wiechert’s ankles. The off-balance return got tangled in the mesh, and Chaney and Leever hugged in celebration. "It felt wonderful," Leever said. "I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it and getting that winner." The North Medford duo finished as the state runner-up last season. "Now that we’ve won this, I feel like my graduation is complete," Chaney said. The team advanced to the championship by beating Ashland’s Jessica Baker and Justine Bowen-Jones in the semifinals Saturday morning. The unseeded Grizzly duo kept it close in the early going, knotting the first set at 2-2 when Bowen-Jones hit a backhand winner crosscourt. But the North Medford tandem responded by winning four of the last five games to close out the opening set. They maintained that edge through the second set, using Leever’s dominating serve to end the match. Her final blast whizzed over the net, giving Ashland time for just a half-swing at the ball. Still, the return sailed two feet long and out of play, making the final tally 6-3, 6-2. "I had to get some confidence back in my game," Leever said. "I started getting on a roll, and it felt great." The teams had split their two previous matches in Southern Oregon Conference play before the North Medford duo won Saturday’s all-important rubber match. "We were a little nervous, because we knew what they could do," Chaney said. "Everyone was real tentative at the start, but we really wanted to win this one." North Medford finished second in the team title chase with 14 points, as Lakeridge won the championship with 15. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times