42nd annual CASAA Tennis Tournament a success

The 42nd annual Central Alberta Schools Athletic Association (CASAA) Tennis Tournament wrapped up in Red Deer on Tuesday.

Around 130 high school students from across central Alberta competed in the one-day tournament at the Red Deer Tennis Club. All four high schools in Red Deer participated followed by Camrose, Forestburg, Lacombe, and Sylvan Lake.

They played a modified double knockout format for all of the categories. Players who lost in their first round were sent to the consolation portion of the tournament.  All players were guaranteed at least two matches.

In men’s singles, Hudson Lehman from Lindsay Thurber High School won the title 8-3 over Lacombe’s Alexander Palmer. Lehman got to the finals after defeating Notre Dame’s Easton Daneault 8-0 in the semifinals.

In the bronze medal match, Heath Thieson edged Daneault 8-3. Meanwhile, Brett Belich from H.J. Cody High School in Sylvan Lake won the consolation championship 6-1 over Brady Blais from St. Joseph High School.

In women’s singles, Alexa Wang from Hunting Hills was crowned champion after winning 8-5 in the final against Mya Robinson from Lindsay Thurber.

Wang defeated Sylvan Lake’s Kolby Orriss 8-0 in the semifinals and Robinson beat Notre Dame’s Mei Takai 8-0.

Takai went on to win the bronze medal in an 8-4 victory against Orriss. The consolation winner was presented to Anastasia Kovalets after a 6-0 win over Sophia Valencia Navarro, both of who are from St. Joseph.

In the men’s doubles event, Tyson DeZutter and Isaac Nakonechy pulled out a close 8-6 victory over teammates Noah Nakonechy and Kai Klass.

DeZutter and Nakonechy beat Austin Stephan and Griffin Slywka 8-6 in the semis while Klass and Nakonechy beat Hunting Hills’ Ethan Clark and Logan Hanson 8-3.

In the bronze medal match, Stephan and Slywka won 8-5 over Clark and Hanson. Furthermore, Lindsay Thurber’s Owen House and Noah Hoffart were the consolation winners.

In the women’s doubles, Sydney and Paige Zinger, who are sisters from Notre Dame, won gold in an 8-6 victory over Jorgia Hicks and Jett MacDonald from Thurber.

The Zinger sisters defeated Jaeda Marquart and McKenna Leslie from Thurber 8-1 in the semifinals. On the other side, Hicks and MacDonald knocked out Maya Edzerza and Brooke Lougheed from St. Joseph 8-4 in the semifinal.

Ederza and Lougheed won the bronze medal in an 8-7 win against Marquart and McKenna. Notre Dame’s Riley Dand and Olivia Davidson were the consolation winners.

In the final event of the tournament, Ella Graves and Brady Keller from Lacombe won gold in mixed doubles 8-3 beating Notre Dame’s Ty Fleming and Reid Adams.

The bronze medal winners were awarded to Kira Main and Isaac Belich from H.J. Cody for their 8-5 win over St. Joseph’s Kinlee Taylor and Parker Harrison. 

The consolation winners were Samantha Lorenz and Travis Lorenz from H.J. Cody.