CHS' Gallegos earns 5A state tennis berth

HOBBS — Clovis High junior Patricia Gallegos didn’t get the District 4-5A tennis championship she was looking for, but she will represent the Lady Wildcats in Class 5A state singles for the second consecutive year.

Gallegos, seeded No. 1, lost to fifth-seeded Amy Pennell of Hobbs 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in a three-hour semifinal round match before coming back to take the third and final singles berth from the district with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Caitlin Allen of Carlsbad.

“Patricia had a little trouble with her backhand today,” CHS tennis coach Billie Merritt said. “I think if she’d been at her best, she would have won that match.”

Gallegos, unbeaten at No. 1 singles during the regular 4-5A campaign, had a first-round bye and then cruised past eighth-seeded Morgan Crane of Hobbs 6-1, 6-0.

Gallegos will play a first-round state match against a second-place finisher from another region on Wednesday in Albuquerque.

Also in singles, seventh-seeded Andrea Curry reached the second round of the tournament before losing to second-seeded Amy Baklini of Eldorado 6-2, 6-2 in a rematch of their quarterfinal match last year, won by Curry.

Baklini went on to win the tournament, beating Pennell 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the championship match.

Clovis’ third singles entry, eighth grader Emily Gibbs, dropped a 6-0, 6-0 verdict in the opening round to third-seeded Caitlin Allen of Carlsbad.

Both CHS doubles teams were eliminated in the first round. Emily Logsdon and Molly Price went three sets before losing to Stansifer-Useen of Eldorado 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 while Lauren Garrett and Britni Johnson dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision to Eldorado’s other team of Fate and Alexander.

Fate-Alexander went on to win the tournament, getting past Graham-Elkins of Carlsbad 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 in the finals.

CHS’ boys doubles team reached the second round before going down.

Justin Brummitt and Adam Quintero beat Leibman-Nguyen of Eldorado 6-4, 6-2 and lost to Reber-Heinrich of Carlsbad 6-4, 6-1. Jared Cole and Mark Gant knocked off brothers Derik and Devin Bendixsen of Carlsbad 6-3, 6-1, then lost to eventual champions Parra and Quintela of Hobbs 6-4, 6-1.

Parra-Quintela won an all-Hobbs final over Baker-McDaniel 6-2, 6-1.

“The boys played very well,” Merritt said. “Mark and Jared played great. I think they might have had a better chance if they’d been in the bottom bracket.

“There were about four really tough singles players and three really tough doubles teams. Today was the best I’ve seen Mark and Jared play all year, and Justin and Adam played well too.”

In singles, all three Clovis players were seeded 12th or lower and could not survive the first round. Patrick Jones was beaten by Carlsbad’s Michael Ongaga 6-4, 6-3, Michael Adams fell to Eldorado’s Joey Weatherford 6-3, 6-2 and Randy Stapp lost to Jared Anderson of Carlsbad 6-0, 6-1.

Carlsbad’s Shawn Baker defeated Eldorado’s Shawn Parsons 6-4, 6-3 in the championship match.

Boys

Singles

First round

(1) Shawn Baker, Carlsbad, bye; (9) Josh Amador, Hobbs, def. (8) Westin Lewsinski, Eldorado, 6-4, 1-6, 6-0; 5. Michael Ongaga, Carlsbad, def. (12) Patrick Jones, Clovis, 6-4, 6-3; (4) Joey Weatherford, Eldorado, def. (13) Michael Adams, Clovis, 6-3, 6-1; (3) Jarred Anderson, Carlsbad, def. (14) Randy Stapp, Clovis, 6-0, 6-1; (6) Carson Millender, Hobbs, def. (11) Trevor Tyler, Manzano, 6-0, 6-1; (7) Cody Morgan, Hobbs, def. (10) Tanner Adams, Eldorado, 6-1, 6-4; (2) Shawn Parsons, Eldorado, def. (15) Steven Jackson, Manzano, 6-1, 6-0.

Second round

(1) Baker, Carlsbad, def. (9) Amador, Hobbs, 6-0, 6-1; (4) Weatherford, Eldorado, def. (5) Ongaga, Carlsbad, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; (3) Anderson, Carlsbad, def. (6) Millender, Hobbs, 6-0, 6-1; (2) Parsons, Eldorado, def. (7) Morgan, Hobbs, 6-1, 6-3.

Semifinals

(1) Shawn Baker, Carlsbad, def. (4) Joey Weatherford, Eldorado, 6-0, 6-4; (2) Shawn Parsons, Eldorado, def. (3) Jarred Anderson, Carlsbad, 6-2, 6-2.

Consolation match

(3) Anderson, Carlsbad, def. (4) Weatherford, Eldorado, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.

Finals

(1) Baker, Carlsbad, def. (2) Parsons, Eldorado, 6-4, 6-3.

Doubles

First round

(5) Bendixen/Bendixen, Carlsbad, def. (6) Behre/Thomas, Eldorado, 6-1, 6-2; (7) Brummet/Quintaro, Eldorado, def. (8) Lieman/Nguyen, 6-3, 6-2.

Second round

(1) Parra/Quintela, Hobbs, def. (10) Cherrin/Burnham, Clovis, 6-0, 6-0; (4) Cole/Grant, Clovis, def. (5) Bendixen/Bendixen, Carlsbad, 6-1, 6-3; (3) Reber/Heinrich, Carlsbad, def. (7) Brummet/Quintaro, Eldorado, 6-4, 6-1; (2) Baker/McDaniels, Hobbs, def. (9) Fuerschbach/Stark, Manzano, 6-1, 6-0.

Semifinals

(1) Parra/Quintela, Hobbs, def. (4) Cole/Gant, Clovis, 6-2, 6-1; (2) Baker/McDaniels, Hobbs, def. (3) Reber/Heinrich, Carlsbad, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6.

Finals

(1) Parra/Quintela, Hobbs, def. (2) Baker/McDaniels, Hobbs, 6-2, 6-1.

Girls

Singles

First round

(1) Patricia Gallegos, Clovis, bye; (8) Morganne Crain, Hobbs, def. (9) Kristen Daly, Carlsbad, 6-1, 6-0; (5) Amy Pennell, Hobbs, def. (12) Libby Putnam, Manzano, 6-2, 6-0; (4) Ashtin Pick, Eldorado, def. (13) Angelica Madrid, Carlsbad, 6-1, 6-1; (3) Caiitlin Allen, Carlsbad, def. (14) Emily Gibbs, Clovis, 6-0, 6-0; (6) Jessica Ortero, Eldorado, def. (11) Ashley Gonzales, Hobbs, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; (7) Andrea Curry, Clovis, def. Ashley Harper, Manzano, 6-2, 6-0; (2) Amy Baklini, Eldorado, def. (15) Jennifer Hostlen, Manzano, 6-0, 6-0.

Second round

(1) Gallegos, Clovis, def. (8) Crain, Hobbs, 6-3, 6-1; (5) Pennell, Hobbs, def. (4) Pick, Eldorado, 6-1, 6-3; (3) Allen, Carlsbad, def. (6) Ortero, Eldorado, 7-5, 6-2; (2) Baklini, Eldorado, def. (7) Curry, Clovis, 6-2, 6-2.

Semifinals

(5) Amy Pennell, Hobbs, def. (1) Patricia Gallegos, Clovis, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; (2) Amy Baklini, Eldorado, def. (3) Caitlin Allen, Carlsbad, 6-2, 6-3.

Consolation match

(1) Gallegos, Clovis, def. (3) Allen, Carlsbad, 6-4, 6-3.

Finals

(2) Baklini, Eldorado, def. (5) Pennell, Hobbs, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Doubles

First round

(5) Fate/Alexander, Eldorado, def. (6) Aager/Madrid, Carlsbad, 7-5, 6-1; (7) Stansifer/Usim, Eldorado, def. (8) Langston/Price, Clovis, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Second round

(1) Spears/Holdridge, Hobbs, def. (10) Anderson/Anyanse, Manzano, 6-0, 6-1; (5) Fate/Alexander, Eldorado, def. (4) Garrett/Johnson, Clovis, 6-1, 6-3; (2) Ayyagari/Skinner, Hobbs, def. (7) Stansifer/Usim, Eldorado, 6-2, 6-1; (2) Graham/Elkins, Carlsbad, def. (9) Nava/Hayden, Manzano, 6-0, 6-0.

Semifinals

(5) Fate/Alexander, Eldorado, def. (1) Spears/Holdridge,Hobbs, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; (2) Graham/Elkins, Carlsbad, def. (3) Ayyagari/Skinner, Hobbs, 6-3, 6-3.

Finals

(5) Fate/Alexander, Eldorado, def. (2) Graham/Elkins, Carlsbad, 7-6, 6-3.