Two of Republic’s tennis seniors, Jon Cole and Chase Elder, advanced to the state tennis tournament as a doubles team with a runner-up finish at the district tournament Friday.
Given the format of the district tournament, Smashey said it was hard to be sure whether anyone from Republic’s squad would be able to advance to state. “But Chase and Jon came off a fourth-place finish at the COC Tournament two days ago, and they carried that good play into today’s tournament.”
Cole and Elder’s key win of the day came in the semifinals, winning a close match against Nixa’s entry.
Elder and Cole lost in the district championship match to a Central duo that will challenge for a state title, according to Smashey. “The final wasn’t close against a remarkable Central team, but it was still fun to see them go up against what is perhaps the best doubles team in the state,” Smashey said.
For Cole and Elder, qualifying for the state tournament is indicative of their improvement over the past four seasons.
“It’s a testament to their work ethic and love of the game that a couple guys ranked #24 and #26 (on Republic’s depth chart) as freshmen will end their high school careers at the state tournament,” Smashey said.
Cole and Elder were the only Republic players to advance beyond districts.