Grisham goes out on top with 2A state tennis title

Faith Grisham has been steadily climbing the tennis ladder for four years.

On Saturday, she reached the top.

The Columbia River senior capped off a stellar final season with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Ana Rios of Foster to win the 2A state singles title at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.

Grisham went undefeated in 2019, losing just 14 games along the way. She never had to play a three-set match.

“It’s a product of the hours I’ve spent training,” Grisham said. “It’s not always easy like this, so I’m thankful for these moments.”

To reach the final, Grisham beat Luciana Sobrino of Liberty 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinals. Grisham beat Sobrino last year in the state quarterfinals on her way to a third-place finish.

In 2017, Grisham lost to Rios in straight sets in the quarterfinals and went on to place fourth.

Grisham’s first trip to state was 2016 as a freshman when Columbia River was a 3A school and she lost both her state matches.

But she said those past meetings with her Saturday opponents didn’t come into play.

“I approached it like a new day,” Grisham said. “I didn’t think about the previous matches because in tennis every day is different.

“It helped to stay open minded and I adjusted well. Ana is a really good player and I was humbled to be in the final.”

Grisham did say she was a bit nervous coming into championship Saturday, but had a “ton of family here supporting me.”

Winning the singles state title also came with a side benefit for Columbia River — a shared team title with Sequim. Both finished with 11 points as Grisham’s first-place finish was worth 11 team points.

In other matches on Saturday:

• Union boys doubles team of Kyle Mosier and Jake Flentke lost in the 4A semifinals at Richland but won the third-place match over Issaquah 7-6, 6-3. The Titans finished third in team points as well.

• In 4A girls doubles, Union’s Nicole Knudtson and Miriam Muntean finished third as well. They lost a tough three-setter in the semifinals to the defending state champs from Skyline, then rolled in the third-place final over a team from Thomas Jefferson 6-2, 6-1.

• Akash Prasad and Jake Gianan of Camas placed fourth in 4A doubles. The Papermakers tied for fifth in team points.

• Vincent Hsu and James Berteau of Mountain View placed fourth in 3A doubles at Kennewick. The Thunder tied for seventh in team points.

• Skyview’s Jonathan Hutley placed fifth in 4A singles, winning his final match by coming back from 5-1 down in a first-set tiebreaker to take the match 7-6 (7), 6-3.

• Paige Wilson and Beyonce Bea of Washougal placed fifth in 2A doubles with three dominating wins after their first-round defeat.

• Columbia River’s Nate Kessi and Wilson Keller finished sixth in 2A doubles. They lost in the semifinals to the eventual runner-up from Bellingham, and then lost to Liberty in the third-place match.

BOYS TENNIS RESULTS

4A STATE TOURNAMENT

At Richland

(Saturday’s local results & champions)

Singles

Championship — Amol Koli (Newport) def. Brady Thomas (Jackson) 6-1, 6-1.

Fifth place — Jonathan Hutley (Skyview) def. Luke Andrewjeski (Wenatchee) 7-6, 6-3.

Doubles

Semifinals — Huang/Sahu (Newport) def. Kyle Mosier/Jake Flentke (Union) 6-3, 6-4.

Third place — Mosier/Flentke def. Ryan Cho/Hampus Holmgren (Issaquah) 7-6, 6-3.

Fourth place — Akash Prasad/Jake Gianan (Camas) def. Julian Orint/Lucas Orint (Mount Rainier) 6-1, 7-6.

Championship — Anuj Vimawala/Daniel Sohn (Jackson) def. Huang/Sahu 7-6, 6-3.

Team scores

1, Newport 23; 2, Jackson 21; 3, Union 11; 4, Kentwood 9; 5 (tie), Camas and Ferris 8; 7 (tie), Skyview and Mead 7.

3A STATE TOURNAMENT

At Kennewick

(Saturday’s local results & champions)

Singles

Championship — Alan Yim (Lakeside) def. Brett Pearson (Lake Washington) 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles

Championship — Kevin Chen/Chris Elliott (Mercer Island) def. August Knox/Nick Bishop (Garfield) 6-1, 6-4.

Fourth place — Vincent Hsu/James Berteau (Mountain View) def. Alan Fan/Tate Fuller (Lakeside) 7-6, 6-2.

Team scores

1, Lakeside 25; 2, Lake Washington 17; 3, Garfield 16; 4, Bellevue 13; 5, Mercer Island 11; Also: 7 (tie), Mountain View 8; 13 (tie) Prairie 2.

2A STATE TOURNAMENT

At Seattle

(Saturday’s local results & champions)

Singles

Championship — Shane Lynette (Sehome) def. Josh Chou (Sammamish) 6-2, 6-3.

Fifth-place semifinal — Hayden Woods (Port Angeles) def. Derek Kropp (Ridgefield) 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles

Semifinals — Owen Morrison / Colm Schaefer (Bellingham) def. Nate Kessi/Wilson Keller (Columbia River)  6-3, 6-1.

Third place — Calvin Vuong/Colby Vuong (Liberty) def. Kessi/Keller 6-1, 6-2.

Championship — Ben Haukaas/Gabe Slind (Mark Morris) def. Owen Morrison / Colm Schaefer (Bellingham) 6-2, 6-2.

Team scores

1, Bellingham 18; 2 (tie), Mark Morris and Sehome 11; 4, Sammamish 10; Also: 11 (tie), Columbia River 6.

GIRLS TENNIS RESULTS

4A STATE TOURNAMENT

At Richland

(Saturday’s local results & champions)

Singles

Championship — Erika Ito (Kentwood) def. Nancy Cabanas (Thomas Jefferson) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

Doubles

Semifinals — Reanne Lee/Dora Varsa (Skyline) def. Nicole Knudtson/Miriam Muntean (Union) 6-3, 0-6, 6-3.

Third place — Knudtson/Muntean def. Ally Peterson/Mia Rosa (Thomas Jefferson) 6-2, 6-1.

Championship — Reanne Lee/Dora Varsa (Skyline) def. Carolyn Johnson/Madelyn Dibble (Lewis & Clark) 6-1, 6-2.

Team scores

1, Thomas Jefferson 16; 2, Lewis & Clark 15; 3, Inglemoor 13; 4 (tie), Kentwood and Skyline 11; Also: 7 (tie), Union 9.

3A STATE TOURNAMENT

At Kennewick

(Saturday’s local results & champions)

Singles

Championship — Mia Ljubas (Nathan Hale) def. Ameilia Asfaw (Seattle Prep) 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles

Championship — Sylvia Eklund/CharlizeYey (Interlake) def. Amber Edmonds/Crystal Xu (Lakeside) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Team scores

1, Interlake 35; 2, Seattle Prep 19; 3 (tie), Nathan Hale and Peninsula 11; 5, Lakeside 10; Also: 12 (tie), Mountain View 2.

2A STATE TOURNAMENT

At Seattle

(Saturday’s local results & champions)

Singles

Semifinals — Faith Grisham (Columbia River) def. Luciana Sobrino (Liberty) 6-0, 6-1.

Championship — Grisham def. Ana Rios (Foster) 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles

Fifth-place semifinal — Paige Wilson/Beyonce Bea (Washougal) def. Sydney Troy/Emry Bohlmann (Olympic) 6-3, 6-1.

Fifth place — Wilson/Bea def. Clara-Beth Hamill/Hannah Walter (Selah) 6-0, 6-1.

Championship — Jessica Dietzman Kalli Wiker (Sequim) def. Nina Vongsaly/Katrina Kuntz (Sammamish) 6-7, 6-2, 6-1.

Team scores

1 (tie), Columbia River and Sequim 11; 3 (tie), Foster, Olympic and Sammamish 10; Also: 10 (tie), Washougal 7.