GILLETTE — The Green River and Rock Springs tennis teams closed out their seasons at the Wyoming High School State Tennis Championships in Gillette this past weekend. Both programs saw several standout performances, with Green River’s boys placing eighth as a team and Rock Springs finishing 13th. On the girls’ side, Green River placed 11th and Rock Springs finished 14th. Sheridan captured the boys’ team title for the first time since 1985, while Cheyenne Central claimed its third straight girls’ state championship and 20th overall.
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Boys Singles
At No. 1 singles, Green River’s Dylan Archibald opened the tournament strong as the No. 2 seed out of the south, defeating Thunder Basin’s Carter Rodgers 6-0, 6-0 in the first round. He fell in the quarterfinals to Cody’s Nick Stewart 6-3, 6-2, but battled through the consolation bracket with a straight-set win over Natrona County’s Kadan Salas. Archibald’s run ended in a hard-fought three-set loss to Jackson’s Emelyn Baev (7-6 (13), 3-6, 0-6), who went on to finish fourth. Rock Springs’ Carson Jenkins was eliminated after two straight losses.
At No. 2 singles, Green River’s Aiden Neher, seeded third from the south, opened with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Campbell County’s Leland Jenkins before falling to Jackson’s Luke Gentile, the No. 2 seed from the north, in straight sets. Neher was eliminated in the consolation bracket by Sheridan’s Drew Miller, 6-2, 6-2. Rock Springs’ Matthew Wren also went 0-2.
Boys Doubles
Green River’s No. 1 doubles duo of Hokanson and Dodson entered state as the top south seed after winning regionals. They survived a tight opening set against Campbell County’s Ruff and Kindsvogel, winning 7-6 (5), before taking the second set 6-1. In the quarterfinals, they fell to Cody’s Schwab and Laing in three sets (4-6, 6-1, 3-6). Hokanson and Dodson rallied in consolation play with two straight wins to reach the consolation championship, ultimately finishing fourth after a loss to Kelly Walsh’s Reishus and Ramsey.
Rock Springs’ Wheatley and Swafford fell to Schwab and Laing in the opening round but bounced back with a win over Ruff and Kindsvogel, 7-6 (10-8), 6-3. Their season ended in a tight three-setter against Torrington’s Carlson and Matthews (6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3)).
At No. 2 doubles, Green River’s Arnold and Olson advanced to the semifinals after wins over Cody’s Law and Woods and Natrona’s Martin and Elston, dropping only one set along the way. They fell to Sheridan’s Woodrow and Lansing, the top northern seed, 6-2, 7-5, and were eliminated in the consolation quarterfinals by Kelly Walsh’s Larson and Dresang, who went on to take fourth.
Rock Springs’ Lemus and Walker lost to Law and Woods in the first round but battled through consolation play with wins over Martin and Elston and East’s Gorman and Cameron before falling to Larson and Dresang 6-3, 6-0.
At No. 3 doubles, Green River’s Bundy and Taylor entered as the south’s No. 1 seed, with Rock Springs’ Ogden and Thompson as the No. 2 seed. Both squads won their opening matches but fell in the quarterfinals. Ogden and Thompson were eliminated in their next match. Bundy and Taylor, however, rattled off three straight wins to reach the consolation championship, where they fell to Jackson’s Benniga and Ankeny 6-2, 6-3 to finish fourth.
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Girls Singles
At No. 1 singles, Green River’s Rylin Arnell and Rock Springs’ Aydin Hood were both sent to the consolation bracket after first-round losses. Hood’s opening match came against eventual state champion Caroline Brokaw of Jackson. Arnell won her first consolation match over Torrington’s Madison Hatch 6-0, 6-1 before being eliminated by Cheyenne South’s Rio Barr. Hood was eliminated in her second match.
At No. 2 singles, Green River’s Amanda Davis and Rock Springs’ Addie Aanerud were both eliminated early. Davis earned a consolation win over Torrington’s Haley DeFoe (6-4, 6-0) before falling to Powell’s Bailee Allred, while Aanerud dropped both of her matches.
Girls Doubles
Green River’s No. 1 doubles team of Lopez and Beutel, seeded second from the south, was upset in the opening round by Cody’s Buckles and Paddock 7-5, 6-3. They responded with a straight-set win over Rawlins but were eliminated by Kelly Walsh’s Klosterman and Bradfield. Rock Springs’ Knudsen and Punches were eliminated in two matches.
At No. 2 doubles, Rock Springs’ Harris and Pugmire, unseeded after regionals, opened with a two-set upset of Cody’s Despain and Stevens, 7-5, 6-3. They fell in the quarterfinals to Cheyenne Central’s top-seeded Shoemaker and Schaffer, who went on to win the state title. Green River’s English and Britton also won their first match, defeating Jackson’s Somers and Anderson 7-5, 6-2, before falling to Sheridan’s Geissler and Hogan, who had a first-round bye due to the lack of a South team in that bracket. Neither Green River nor Rock Springs advanced out of the consolation bracket.
At No. 3 doubles, Green River’s Maez and Kendall opened with a three-set win over Cody’s Edwards and Beachler before falling to Sheridan’s Akers and Lansing in the quarterfinals. They advanced to the consolation semifinals but were eliminated one match short of placing by Thunder Basin’s Anderson and Stevens, who went on to take third. Rock Springs’ Zancanella and Bear won their first consolation match after a first-round loss but were eliminated by Natrona’s Mongar and Cantrell.
Team Results
Green River’s boys finished eighth overall, while Rock Springs placed 13th. On the girls’ side, Green River took 11th and Rock Springs finished 14th. Sheridan captured the boys’ title for the first time in four decades, while Cheyenne Central’s girls added their 20th championship, bringing the program’s combined total to 39 between boys and girls.
