Lucas Walburn of Columbia River serves during the championship match of the 2A District 4 boys tennis tournament on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at Vancouver Tennis Center. The junior was his third title in a row. (Jeff Klein/The Columbian)
Lucas Walburn is now 3 for 3 in winning district tennis titles and getting to state.
Now it’s just a matter of waiting until the end of May to play at state.
“The wait is difficult,” the Columbia River junior said. “I would like state to be now.”
Of course he would. He’s on a roll.
Walburn captured his third consecutive 2A District 4 boys tennis singles title on Friday by beating Javyn Han of W.F. West 6-0, 6-2 at Vancouver Tennis Center.
“I will still ramp it up until (May) to be prepared for state,” Walburn said.
In his last seven matches in the 2A Greater St. Helens League tournament last week and the 2A district tournament this week, Walburn has dropped just nine games on his way to two titles.
“I’m playing consistent, hitting some good shots and getting the better of my opponents,” he said.
River teammates Nate Little and Noah Coakes will also be going to state. They finished second in doubles, losing in the final 6-4, 6-2 to Centralia brothers Jacoby and Zander Corwin.
Washougal’s doubles team of Evan Elliott and Austin Mattern placed third to earn a state berth.
Columbia River won the team title with 23 points over second place Tumwater with 19.
3A district
Last year, Micah Nelson of Prairie and Austin Wick of Mountain View placed second and third at the district tournament.
This year they both moved up a spot.
Nelson beat Wick 6-3, 6-2 on Friday at Vancouver Tennis Center to win his first district singles title and take that momentum into next week’s 3A bi-district tournament in Kent.
The Prairie junior was challenged all match with many shots to his backhand.
“My forehand is my stronger side,” the lefty said. “But I hit my backhands nice and soft, back over high and deep to push him back so he couldn’t come into the net.”
It was all Mountain View in the doubles final between two Thunder teams that battled back-and-forth all season for the first and second doubles spots.
In the end it was sophomore Jackson Taylor and freshman Owen Kendrick who prevailed over senior Chase Harvey and junior Caleb Sears 6-3, 7-5 for the district title.
Friendly rivalry?
“We are very competitive,” Kendrick said.
Next is bi-district at Kent with a chance for state berths.
“We just need to play like we did in this championship,” Taylor said. “I think we can make it.”
Mountain View won the team title with 34 points, and Prairie was second with 16.
4A district
Camas junior and top seed Leo Zhao advanced to the singles final with a 6-0, 6-0 win over teammate Andre Ter-Antonyan at Club Green Meadows.
Zhao will face another teammate for the title on Saturday when he plays sophomore Aaron Li, the No. 2 seed.
In Saturday’s double final, Camas’ freshman duo of Connor Reid and Dylan Diems will take on Skyview seniors Eli Patel and Zach Nieda.
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4A DISTRICT 4 TOURNAMENT
At Club Green Meadows
Singles
Quarterfinals — Leo Zhao (Camas) def. Owen Peterson (Battle Ground) 6-0, 6-1; Andre Ter-Antonyan (Camas) def. Kaden Arn (Battle Ground) 6-0, 6-0; Brian Lin (Union) def. Jonny Kunz (Skyview) 6-4, 6-1; Aaron Li (Camas) def. Sam Andrade (Union) 6-0, 6-0.
Semifinals — Zhao def. Ter-Antonyan 6-0, 6-0; Li def. Li 6-1, 6-1.
Doubles
Quarterfinals — Connor Reid/Dylan Siems (Camas) def. Anton Patel/Isaac Patel (Skyview) 6-4, 6-0; Tristenh Teso/Thomas Wang (Camas) def. Andrew Lin/Ken Eigelberner (Union) 6-1, 6-2; Eli Patel/Zach Nieda (Skyview) def. Jonas Allen/Hudson West (Battle Ground) 6-1, 6-3; Joseph Wei/Daniel Tsay (Union) def. Myles McCord/Ian Kim (Skyview) 6-2, 6-2.
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