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Sailors tennis looks forward to competitive tourney

Dave Shively
Steamboat Springs No. 3 doubles player Sara Bearss returns a volley during practice at the Tennis Center on Thurday afternoon. The team is scheduled to travel to Denver this week to play in the Mullen Tournament.
John F. Russell

— Steamboat Springs tennis coach John Aragon was intent on getting his girls to play today in Denver.

Despite the National Weather Service’s warning for an “unseasonably strong storm expected to bring heavy snow,” Aragon planned to bring his snowblower if necessary to make sure his team could get its outdoor matches in at the Mullen Tournament.

“We’re serious,” Aragon said. “There’s going to be some great tennis and we’ll be able to see everybody we’ll face at the state tournament.”



Steamboat was ranked No. 5 in Class 4A in Thursday’s Rocky Mountain News prep rankings, behind Mullen (1), Cheyenne Mountain (2), Greeley West (3) and Ralston Valley (4). Everyone but Greeley West is scheduled for tournament play, in addition to skilled players from Pine Creek, Chatfield, D’Evelyn, Eaton and Sterling.

“This tournament will be like a mini-state for us,” Steamboat No. 1 singles player Lisa Floyd said at practice Thursday. “You get to learn how to play certain people you’ll face in state and regionals and know what to do, so it’s like a cheat sheet.”



Aragon said the highlights from the tournament will be matches involving Cheyenne Mountain, defending state champion Mullen and Pine Creek’s reigning No. 1 singles state champion, Simone Kalhorn.

Steamboat still has two matches, April 20 at Columbine and April 30 at home against Boulder, before regionals May 4 to 5.

“The girls can’t take anything lightly,” said Aragon, pleased with the team’s current level of play. “Lisa is playing as well as I’ve ever seen her, and Bre (Murray) and Shelby Reed are also playing well. The doubles are coming around too, learning new formations and working hard.”

For now, the team waits, “at the mercy of Mother Nature,” for the Mullen Tournament organizers to make the cancellation call this morning, based on the weather.

“We’re ready to go,” Floyd said. “Everyone will be disappointed (if the tournament is canceled), because this is one of the tournaments we look forward to all year.”


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