Lots of Lady Tigers have qualified for the state tennis tournament through the years. But never have they had so much company when they got there.
This year’s edition of the Republic girls tennis team will send five players to the individual state tournament in Springfield. Elsie Crawford advanced with a championship in the district singles bracket. Sedalia Shumaker and Morgan Lewis advanced as the doubles district champions. And the team that Shumaker and Lewis defeated in the finals, Abby McCord and Wrigley Cook, will also be at the state tournament for the second-place finish.
The five state qualifiers is a program record, and it was part of an all-around great day for the Republic girls, who sent every player to at least the semifinals. Jasmine Howard finished third in singles as a sophomore.
Republic will compete in the newly created Class 2 alongside other mid-size schools. This year, for the first time, because of the addition of a third size classification, the Missouri State High School Activities Association re-structured the playoffs to eliminate the sectional round. District champions and runners-up advance directly to state.