STATE HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS: Frosh Rickert wins, Sandpoint girls make program history with first team title

Courtesy photo Sandpoint freshman Pepper Rickert, center, won in girls singles and the girls doubles team of Aubrey Knowles (left) and Sydney Webb (right) helped lead the Bulldogs to their first team title in program history on Saturday.

Courtesy photo The 2024 Sandpoint girls tennis team shows off the state 4A tennis championship trophy. From left, coach Roger Alexander, Berkeley Cox, Elly Tutin, Neva Reseska, coach Kent Stadum, Pepper Rickert, coach Kent Anderson, Sydney Webb, Aubrey Knowles, and Lily Evans.

| May 19, 2024 1:15 AM

BOISE — Freshman Pepper Rickert won all four of her matches in straight sets — dropping just four games total — to capture the girls singles title and Sandpoint claimed the 4A girls state tennis title for the first time in school history as play wrapped up Saturday at the Appleton Tennis Center.

“This has always been a goal of mine and it feels so amazing to accomplish as a freshman — also having the team win state is just as amazing,” Rickert said. “I have been working toward this my whole life and have been working really hard with the team this season and with my hitting coach in Spokane to prepare for this.”

In the championship match, Rickert was leading 3-2 in the first set and then won nine straight games to take home the title.

“The girl Pepper played in the championship (Brinley Nelson) was a really strong hitter and also a freshman,” head coach Kent Anderson said. “They battled hard and there were long, big points, each player was hitting hard, there were all these dropshots and lobs — it was fun to watch.”

In the semifinals, Nelson faced fellow Bulldog Neva Reseska, who played a big part in helping Sandpoint bring home the team title.

“Neva had a great tournament; I’m proud of her,” Anderson said. “The girl she beat prior to facing Nelson ended up taking third. Neva came to play and was a big reason why we won state as a team.”

In girls doubles, Aubrey Knowles and Sydney Webb finished state runner-up. The pair's route to the championship match was tough, and they preserved through a long three-set semifinals match to make it there. In the semis, after losing the first set, Webb and Knowles were trailing 4-2 in the second set, but came back to win in a miraculous fashion.

“One point at a time, they just kept plugging away and got stronger and stronger as the game went on,” Anderson said. “It was really emotional. The other team scored six straight points during the tiebreaker to go up 9-7, but somehow Sydney and Aubrey found a way.”

Anderson also noted how Elly Tutin and Brennan Johnson brought home an important victory in mixed doubles.

“They had a really good run this year,” Anderson said. “Every point counts toward a team championship and it was so close. Turns out we won by more than one point, but it could have been the difference.”

Matthew Norton and Jacob Dawson also competed in boys singles for Sandpoint, both winning two matches each.

“They both played really well,” Anderson said. “Jacob was just an eyelash away from winning the whole thing. The kid who won it, Jacob played him really close. He’ll be back next year.”

Century of Pocatello won the boys team title.

5A: After advancing to the semifinals in boys singles with a pair of wins on Friday, Coeur d'Alene junior Connor Judson didn't feel right as the team returned to the hotel, according to Viking boys coach Corey DeLeonard.

Judson went to a local urgent care, where he was sent to the hospital and was forced to default from the tournament after undergoing surgery to remove his appendix, DeLeonard said.

"He's in good spirits and recovering well," DeLeonard said.

Timberline (boys) and Eagle (girls) claimed team titles.

3A: Weiser (boys) and Parma (girls) won team titles.

Local results

BOYS TEAM SCORES — 1, Timberline 49.5. 2, Boise 41. 3, Highland 26. 4, Eagle 21.5. 5, Rocky Mountain 14. 6, Borah 9, 7 (tie), Middleton, Thunder Ridge 7. 9 (tie), Coeur d’Alene, Mountain View 4. 11 (tie), Lewiston, Madison, Meridian 1.5. 14 (tie), Capital, Centennial, Kuna, Lake City, Post Falls 0.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES — 1, Eagle 62.5. 2, Boise 40. 3, Middleton 18. 4, Timberline 16.5. 5, Thunder Ridge 15. 6, Centennial 12. 7, Lewiston 5.5. 8, Borah 4. 9, Rocky Mountain 3. 10 (tie), Capital, Coeur d’Alene, Lake City 2. 13 (tie), Madison, Meridian 1.5. 15 (tie), Highland, Mountain View 1. 17 (tie), Post Falls, Kuna 0.

BOYS SINGLES — Championship bracket: Semifinals: Luke Burriesci, Boise, d. Connor Judson, Coeur d’Alene, by default. Consolation bracket: Semifinals: Owen McPeak, Rocky Mountain, d. Judson, Coeur d’Alene, by default.

BOYS DOUBLES — no locals.

GIRLS SINGLES: Consolation bracket: Third round: Isabelle Bourgeau, Borah, d. Maddy Nesbit, Lake City, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

GIRLS DOUBLES — no locals.

MIXED DOUBLES — no locals.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES — 1, Sandpoint 40.5. 2, Bishop Kelly 32.5. 3, Hillcrest 29.5. 4, Idaho Falls 21. 5, Ridgevue 13. 6 (tie), Century, Twin Falls 11. 8, Emmett 8. 9, Pocatello 6. 10 (tie), Blackfoot, Skyline 4. 12, Vallivue 3. 13, Bonneville 2. 14 (tie), Canyon Ridge, Wood River 1. 16, Lakeland 0.5.

BOYS TEAM SCORES — 1, Century 42. 2, Bishop Kelly 34.5. 3 Twin Falls 28. 4, Wood River 25. 5, Idaho Falls 17. 6, Emmett 11. 7, Skyview 9. 8, Sandpoint 7.5. 9, Bonneville 4. 10, Burley 3. 11 (tie), Hillcrest, Ridgevue 2. 13, Lakeland 1.5. 14, Canyon Ridge 1.

GIRLS SINGLES — SEMIFINALS: Pepper Rickert, Sandpoint, d. Shay Shippen, Skyline, 6-0, 6-1. Brinley Nelson, Hillcrest, d. Neva Reseska, Sandpoint, 6-2, 6-1. CHAMPIONSHIP: Rickert d. Brinley Nelson, Hillcrest 6-2, 6-0.

GIRLS DOUBLES — SEMIFINALS: Sydney Webb Webb/Aubrey Knowles, Sandpoint, d. Keionna Roy/Brianna Freeborn, Blackfoot, 4-6, 6-4, 12-10. CHAMPIONSHIP: Sofia Guzman/Kayla Nielson, Bishop Kelly, d. Webb/Knowles, 6-2, 6-2.

BOYS SINGLES — SEMIFINALS: Noah Cox, Twin Falls, d. Jacob Dawson, Sandpoint, 6-0, 6-4. CONS. SEMIFINALS: Steffan Schrader, Skyview, d. Dawson, 6-4, 6-1.

BOYS TEAM SCORES — 1, Weiser 44.5. 2, Fruitland 38.5. 3, Parma 34. 4, Sun Valley Community School 24. 5, Sugar-Salem 17. 6, Cd’A Charter 11. 7, Gooding 4. 8 (tie), Clearwater Valley, Grangeville 1. 10 (tie), Clark Fork, Culdesac, Declo, Orofino 0.

GIRLS TEAM SCORES — 1, Parma 55. 2, Fruitland 34.5. 3, Sun Valley Community School 23. 4, Declo 20. 5, Sugar-Salem 14. 6, Weiser 13.5. 7, Cd’A Charter 12. 8, Clearwater Valley 5. 9, Gooding 2. 10 (tie), Clark Fork, Culdesac, Grangeville, Orofino 0.

BOYS SINGLES — no locals.

BOYS DOUBLES — Consolation bracket: Semifinals: Miles Davis/Aidan Huhtala, Fruitland, d. Tate Burkholder/Owen Sharp, Cd’A Charter, 6-4, 6-3.

GIRLS SINGLES — Championship bracket: Semifinals: Maria Gentry, Parma, d. Alexandria Montgomery, Cd’A Charter, 6-2, 6-1. Consolation bracket: Semifinals: Montgomery, Cd’A Charter, d. Savannah Hymas, Fruitland, 7-5, 5-7, 10-8. Third-place match: Katelin Norton, Parma, d. Montgomery, Cd’A Charter, 6-1, 6-4.

GIRLS DOUBLES — Consolation bracket: Third round: Halle Drollinger/Mckenna Rawlinson, Fruitland, d. Lydia Lehosit/Claire Leahy, Cd’A Charter, 6-2, 7-6 (2).

MIXED DOUBLES — Consolation bracket: Third round: Libby Montgomery/Mattis Macmillan, Cd’A Charter, d. Bonnie Brumley/Thomas Strait, Cd’A Charter, 6-0, 6-4. Consolation semifinals: Nyah Tubbs/Will Phillips, Fruitland, d. Montgomery/Macmillan, Cd’A Charter, 6-1, 6-1.