Eagles finish fourth

The Clay girls tennis team finished fourth in the Three Rivers Athletic Conference, scoring 24 team points to tie with Findlay.

The Eagles placed behind champion Notre Dame (36), runner-up St. Ursula (35) and third palce Central Catholic (28). Following Clay and Findlay were Fremont Ross (18), Whitmer (9) and Lima Senior (5). No public school has ever won the TRAC title.

Clay third singles player Allie LaPlante finished third, opening with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Central Catholic’s Kenzie Carr, then losing to Notre Dame’s Charlize Delos Santos 6-0, 6-2 in the semifinals. For third place, LaPlante defeated Findlay’s Katie Short 7-5, 6-4.

The Clay first doubles team of Macy Burgess and Lauren Mahler also finished third, defeating Whitmer’s Wingate/VanderPol 6-0, 6-0 in the first round. The Clay duo then lost a tight match to St. Ursula duo Harms/Myers 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in the semifinals. In the consolation, Burgess and Mahler defeated Central’s Pryer/Tscherne 6-1, 6-2.

Clay’s top singles player, Kenzie Arguette, finished fourth and second singles player Kinsley Jahns placed fifth. The Eagles’ second doubles team of LaPlante/Kigar finished fifth.

Clay tennis coach Walt Ralph is in his 47th season at the helm, covering boys and girls tennis over 24 years. He has been a head prep tennis coach nowhere else.