Setting lofty goals for themselves coming into the season, senior Boulder City High School girls’ tennis stars Chayce Larson and Madeline Morris finally reached the pinnacle on Oct. 26, finishing as 3A state champions in doubles competition.
“Chayce and I were so close last year,” Madeline Morris said. “We worked hard to improve this year and we knew we didn’t want to come home to Boulder City without the championship title.”
Finishing in third place the season prior, Larson and Morris left no doubt this season that they were the top team in the 3A classification, defeating teammates senior Ava Gibson and junior Mariah Torgesen convincingly 6-1, 6-2 to take the title.
“After getting third last year, Maddy and I were totally motivated to get first this time,” Larson said. “Winning the state doubles title was our goal from the start, so when it finally happened, we were really happy we could finish our senior season of tennis with the best win. We wanted it for ourselves, but we wanted it for our awesome coaches, too. All four years I have been on the team, all my coaches have worked so hard to help me improve, and it paid off.”
Working hard collectively, Gibson and Torgesen finished as the state runners-up, giving the Eagles the top two teams in the state.
“I honestly couldn’t be prouder of both teams,” head coach Rachelle Huxford said. “I thought it was great for our program that we had the two remaining teams in the finals. Chayce and Maddy came into the season with a goal of being state champions and they were determined to achieve it. Every week, every practice, every match, they went out there to prove they were the best.”
In individual competition for the boys, senior Carson Alder and Chandler Shamo finished as state runners-up in doubles competition, while senior Alex Imboden and junior Shane Barrow finished third.
“I’m really proud of how all four of them played,” Huxford said. “They both lost to the same South Tahoe team that was really tough to beat. I’m happy Alex and Shane were able to battle back in the third-place match and end the season with a win. All season, all four boys played great and deserved to be there.”
In the state final, Alder and Shamo fell to South Tahoe’s Brodie Wallisch and Ralston Pierce 6-0, 6-2.
In the third-place matchup, Imboden and Barrow defeated South Tahoe’s Emiliano Guerrero and Simon Stafford 6-1, 6-4.