Pueblo – Simone Kalhorn of Pine Creek steamrolled to the Class 4A girls state tennis championship at No. 1 singles Saturday at the City Park Tennis Complex, and the team from Mullen did the same.
Kalhorn dominated Lauren Miller of Kent Denver 6-1, 6-4 for the premier singles title, while Mullen stayed around to the end, piling up points. The Mustangs held off Cheyenne Mountain for the championship, breaking a four-year reign by Kent Denver.
“The girls did it. They did more than they had to,” Mullen coach Brett Shirley said as he watched his players parade to the award stand after totaling 70 points to 61 for the runner-up Indians. “We started talking about it a year ago at our awards banquet, about being state champs.”
Kalhorn spent her sophomore year training in Las Vegas. And those results were on display during the three-day state event, cruising through without losing a set in her first prep state tournament. She finished with a 19-0 season record.
“I’m just another high school athlete out here. She’s a tennis player,” Miller said after losing to Kalhorn.
Miller, who will attend Duke in the fall to play field hockey, had been undefeated in high school until Saturday. A longtime tennis player, she was the three-time defending champion at No. 2 singles for the Sun Devils.
Miller had little trouble in the early rounds at No. 1 before Saturday’s final.
“I wanted to send balls to the corner and get angles against her,” Kalhorn said about her strategy in the title match. “I wanted to go to the net, and I had to be more patient with her lobs.”
Miller fought her way back in the second set but couldn’t compete with Kalhorn’s power. And when the Pine Creek junior began hitting drop shots, the match was all but over.
“I could have played better,” Kalhorn said although she broke Miller on her first service game and held her serve fairly easily in the first set.
Kalhorn was playing next to teammate Ryann Warner, a freshman, who claimed the No. 2 singles title 7-5, 6-4 over Alana Humpal of Cheyenne Mountain.
The Indians failed to win that match and lost two others. But they got points from Mary Russell’s win at No. 3 singles and a head-to-head against Mullen at No. 2 doubles. Cheyenne Mountain also got a third place at No. 3 doubles.
The Mustangs earned points in six of the seven divisions Saturday, winning three doubles titles and three third-place matches.
“Definitely team is a big thing,” Shirley said. “They encourage each other and play harder for each other.”
He said sophomore Kimber Robbins’ third-place finish was a good example, as she earned eight points in the comeback bracket after losing in Friday morning’s semifinals.
“She said there was no way she would lose as long as our other girls were winning,” Shirley said after coaching the Mustangs to their first title since 2001.
Team scores
Mullen 70, Cheyenne Mountain 61, Pine Creek 42, Kent Denver 40, Steamboat Springs 19, Greeley West 18, Ralston Valley 12, Niwot 9, Eaton 8, Broomfield 5, D’Evelyn 4, Montrose 2, South 2, Regis 2, La Junta 1, Pueblo County 1, Sterling 1, Summit 1.
Championship matches
No. 1 singles – Simone Kalhorn, Pine Creek, def. Lauren Miller, Kent Denver, 6-1, 6-4.
No. 2 – Ryann Warner, Pine Creek, def. Alana Humpal, Cheyenne Mountain, 7-5, 6-4.
No. 3 – Mary Russell, Cheyenne Mountain, def. Allison Wold, Kent Denver, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
No. 1 doubles – Patty Pogge-Lauren Perkins, Mullen, def. Katie Brezinski-Anna Brugioni, Kent Denver, 6-2, 6-3.
No. 2 – Kristin Boe-Alison Seiler, Cheyenne Mountain, def. Lindsey Flater-Kelsey Cullen, Mullen, 6-3, 7-6 (8).
No. 3 – Lindsey Heringer-Allison O’Callaghan, Mullen, def. Julie Hubbard-Christine Pack, Pine Creek, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
No. 4 – Kelly Sweeney-Kelly Nightingale, Mullen, def. Thea Rubley-Brittany Johansen, Cheyenne Mountain, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3.
Third-place matches
No. 1 singles – Jodi Ciarvella, Mullen, def. Casey Wetzig, Cheyenne Mountain, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; No. 2 – Cari Hudson, Mullen, def. Alyssia Pyne, Ralston Valley, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; No. 3 – Kimber Robbins, Mullen, def. Shelby Reed, Steamboat Springs, 6-3, 6-3.
No. 1 doubles – Nicole Ford-Jennah Kitchell, Greeley West, def. Molly Weiss-Kristen Toy, Steamboat Springs, 6-3, 6-2; No. 2 – Laura Stephans-Annie Pierce, Greeley West, def. Amy Berenbaum-Allison Bathgate, Kent Denver, 6-3, 6-0; No. 3 – Jennifer Marquit-Kelli Sylvester, Cheyenne Mountain, def. Brooke Canton-Shannon Points, Eaton, 6-7 (10), 6-2, 6-4; No. 4 – Kacey Grauder-Molly Joyce, Niwot, def. Katie Armstrong-Anna Bruce, Eaton, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
