Lalone moves on to state tourney
By JOHN GALBREATH Sports Editor
A highly motivated Megan Lalone took no prisoners in her run to establish herself as the finest the Western Conference 4A District has to offer as she overwhelmed three straight opponents on her way to the district girls’ tennis title and the No. 1 seed to the state championships.
The Stanwood High School sophomore opened her district campaign with a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of Alyssa Gilbert of Kamiak.
In the semi-finals, she easily defeated Jane Hong of Edmonds-Woodway, 6-1, 6-0.
Lalone, who was the undisputed, undefeated singles champion of the Western Conference 4A North Division, shut out her final adversary, Mackenzie Bang of Shorewood, 6-0, 6-0, to claim the district crown as well.
Megan, who battled back to win four straight matches after an opening-round loss to place fourth at state last spring, will represent SHS at the Washington State 4A Girls’ Tennis Championships this coming Friday and Saturday, May 28 and 29. Those matches will take place in Kennewick at Kamiakin High School and the Tri-City Court Club.
Further state details can be obtained by calling the SHS athletic director’s office at 629-1322.
Two Lady Spartan tandems contended valiantly before finally succumbing on the final day of the district doubles tourney.
Both teams – Anna Fina/ Marina Messerli and Amme Verbarendse/Kallen Shaughnessy – fell in the first round of the tourney but came back in the consolation rounds to make it to the second day of play.
Fina and Messerli, the first a senior and the latter a junior, lost to Sophie Roben and Sarah Fine of Edmonds- Woodway 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 despite winning the middle set.
Verbarendse and Shaughnessy, a pair of seniors, were defeated 7-5, 6-1 by another duo from Edmonds-Woodway, Amanda Waldron and Michelle Nelson, in the first round.
Competing in the consolation bracket, Fina and Messerli upended Jackson High School’s Sarah Kim and Kelly Corbett in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Verbarendse and Shaughnessy came through as well, winning their consolation match with sets of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Anna and Marina eventually lost their second consolation match to Oak Harbor’s Laurin Rico and Clarissa Abadesco 6-4, 6-3 while Amme and Kallen fell to Snohomish’s Julie Winston and Brielle Nicholas 7-5, 7-5.
