ELKIN — Five Surry County tennis players qualified for the 1A State Tournament after finishing in the top four at regionals.
Elkin’s Connor Ballard and Aidan Ballard booked their tickets to the state tournament by winning the 1A West Regional Doubles title, while Mount Airy Connor Sechrist and Kannon Strickland finished third in the doubles bracket.
The Ballards, both sophomores, will make their second appearance in the state tournament after reaching the doubles state semifinals in 2023. Strickland, a sophomore, returns to states after finishing state runner-up in doubles last season with partner Carson Hill. Sechrist, a senior, will make his first state tournament appearance.
Also qualifying for states was Elkin senior Owen Jennings, who finished fourth in the regional singles bracket. Jennings is a multi-time state qualifier that most recently reached the singles semifinals in 2023.
Doubles
Strickland/Sechrist opened the tournament with a 6-2, 6-0 win against Uwharrie Charter’s Cadence Butler/Aiden Allred. The Granite Bears played a close first set against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy’s Lukas Hobbs/Turner Cook in the quarterfinals, eventually winning with a 7-1 set tiebreaker, then swept their opponents 6-0 in the second set.
Strickland/Sechrist fell 6-4, 6-3 in their semifinal match against Julian Monvanifar/Josh Banchik of the NC School of Science and Math (Morganton). Strickland/Sechrist ended the tournament on a high note by defeating Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy’s Tanner Richards/Hunter Plaster 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in the third-place match.
Monvanifar/Banchik fell 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match against Elkin’s Connor Ballard/Aidan Ballard.
The Ballards, who finished 1A West Regional Runner-up in 2023, only lost eight total games en route to this year’s regional title. The Elkin duo reached the championship by defeating South Davidson’s Logan Garner/Jayden Benitez 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round and Piedmont Community Charter’s Owen Parker/Will Clanton 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals
The Ballards then advanced to the title match with a walkover in the semifinals.
Mount Airy’s Strickland/Sechrist will face Rosewood’s Joseph Bailey/Aedan Peacock in the opening round of the 1A Doubles State Tournament. The winner of that match will face the winner of Elkin’s Ballard/Ballard and Triad Math and Science Academy’s Soham Kela/Rayyan Neikar.
Elkin’s Luke McComb/Webb Snyder also competed in the doubles tournament. The Buckin’ Elks were eliminated in the first round with a 6-3, 6-0 loss to NCSSM’s Monvanifar/Banchik.
Singles
Jennings earned the No. 2 seed in the singles bracket for regionals.
The Buckin’ Elks senior opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Christ the King Catholic High School’s Gregory Wenning, then topped Uwharrie Charter’s Evan Morin 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
Jennings dropped a close 7-5, 6-3 match to Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School’s Luke Ansari in the semifinals. Ansari went on to fall to Langtree Charter’s Nikhil Deshpande, the defending 1A State Champion, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 in the championship match.
Jennings dropped a three-setter against NCSSM’s Davin Hyche in the consolation finals. Hyche took the first set 6-4, dropped the second 6-2, then secured the overall victory with a 6-4 win in the third set.
Jennings will open the 1A Singles State Tournament against Eno River Academy’s Nathan Bermeo. The winner of that match will take on the winner of Bishop McGuinness’ Ansari and Chatham Central’s Jacob Gilliland.
Mount Airy’s Chase Moore also competed in the regional singles tournament. The Granite Bear junior lost his opening match 6-0, 6-1 to Draughn’s Corey Powell.
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