State 4A girls tennis: Crimson Cliffs takes 2nd, Desert Hills 3rd as Green Canyon wins title

Crimson Cliffs players and coaches with runner-up trophy at state 4A tennis tournament, Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 2, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Kristin Bullock, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — High school girls tennis players from Southern Utah’s Region 10 advanced to the finals in four of the five brackets at the 4A state tournament, a two-day event which wrapped up at Salt Lake City’s Liberty Park on Saturday.

Cami Stanger of Crimson Cliffs competes at state 4A tennis tournament, Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 2, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Kristin Bullock, St. George News

But even though defending state champion Crimson Cliffs and region rival Desert Hills each advanced one player and one doubles team into Saturday’s finals, they were not able to match the team total of North Logan’s Green Canyon High School, which landed finalists in all five brackets and had already clinched the state title before any of Saturday’s finals were even played.

The Green Canyon Wolves finished with 21 team points, while Crimson Cliffs came second overall with 10. Desert Hills placed third with 9 points. Click here to see the official bracket and overall team totals, courtesy of the Utah High School Activities Association.

Both Crimson Cliffs and Desert Hills did see one individual state champion, as Cami Stanger of Crimson Cliffs and Brianna Hartman of Desert Hills each defeated their respective Green Canyon opponents Saturday.

In second singles, Stanger defeated Green Canyon senior Halle Kendrick in straight sets, 6-3. 6-4 to win the state title. It was Stanger’s second straight individual state title, having won the third singles bracket last year.

Brianna Hartman of Desert Hills serves during state 4A tennis tournament, Salt Lake City, Utah, Oct. 2, 2021 | Photo courtesy of Chip Hartman, St. George News

In Saturday’s third singles final, Hartman defeated Green Canyon sophomore Emma Murri in a 6-1, 6-1 sweep to win her state bracket.

Green Canyon prevailed in both doubles finals, however.

In first doubles, the Green Canyon duo of Alice Wilkinson and Olivia Phillips defeated Gabby Hafen and London Wunderli of Crimson Cliffs, 6-3, 6-2. 

Meanwhile, in second doubles, Maren McKenna and Ava Checketts of Green Canyon defeated Taylee Anderson and Tessa Fielding of Desert Hills, 6-3, 6-3.

In both of the doubles brackets, both finalist pairs were the respective No. 1 seeds and had come into the tournament undefeated in season play.

First singles was the only bracket that didn’t feature a finalist from Southern Utah. In that bracket, Bailey Huebner of Green Canyon defeated Erika Olsen of Bear River in a three-set final, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Olsen had upset top-seeded Kylie Kezos of Dixie in Friday’s semifinals, 6-2, 7-5. In the other semifinal match, Huebner had knocked off Malika Maxwell of Desert Hills, 6-2, 6-0.

The state qualifiers from the other four Region 10 teams (Cedar, Hurricane, Snow Canyon and Pine View) all were eliminated in their respective quarterfinal matches on Friday. In three cases, those opening-round losses were to the eventual state champion.

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