Amelia Christy smiles with her AA State Championship plaque. Blake Branch/Press-Herald
JACKSON, Miss. – The Glenbrook Apache Netters concluded their season last week with the Class AA semifinals and finals at the Ridgeland Tennis Center in Jackson, Mississippi.
Amelia Christy, Catherine WIllis, Johnny Law Flournoy and John Curtis Brown qualified for the competition.
Players, representing ten schools, comprised the entrants.
The highlight of the day for Glenbrook came when sophomore Amelia Christy brought home the AA State Championship in No. 1 girls singles.
“Amelia approaches each match with the same determined, focused attitude,” Orr said. “She uses her penetrating serves and a seemingly untiring stamina to defeat her opponents. Very little distracts her on the court; her mind-set is to win, and that is her goal from the beginning. Her game is continuing to develop and she has two years of eligibility remaining.”
Senior Catherine Willis ended her career with another finals appearance, beating Emma Bozeman of Tri-County before falling to Bethany Wellerman.
“Catherine ended her career where it had begun — the finals of the class tournament,” Orr said. “She has competed in either the semis or the finals of the class tournament for the past four years — winning the title once and being runner up twice.”
Flournoy and Brown fell in the No. 1 boys doubles final to the team of Ford/Dill of Oak Hill Academy.
“Battling upperclassmen had become the trademark for these two freshman,” Orr said.
“However, it’s a challenge willingly taken. Tentative play, nervous anxiety, and ‘first-time spotlight’ entered the scene during the first set. Our unforced errors allowed our senior opponents to gain momentum, keeping us on the defensive. Disappointed with the loss, but I told them, ‘We’ll be back.'”
Orr views the season at large as a success.
“I am extremely pleased with the spring tennis season,” Orr said. “Undefeated, district champion for both girls and boys, three of nine titles in the South AA Tournament, three finalists in the Class AA Tournament.”