District dominance: Lady Tigers tennis nets multiple sectional berths, first championship since 2012

High school tennis teams play two district tournaments: one as a team and one as individual entrants in singles and doubles play. Both district tournaments were very, very good for the Republic Lady Tigers.
Republic started its week by capturing a team district championship with wins over Joplin (6-2) and Webb City (5-0). In the championship round against the Cardinals, senior Carly McAtee erased a bad memory from 2018 by winning the decisive match.
“It feels amazing, because last year in this position, I was the last match and I was the deciding match ... and I lost,” McAtee said. “To end on my senior year, winning districts, that’s the best feeling.”
One key to the night was the doubles victory by Sedalia Shumaker and Abby McCord. They topped a Webb City duo who had beaten them last week at the Central Ozark Conference tournament.
Stiles, Shumaker, and Hannah Morgan were all leading when play was stopped. Abby McCord was tied 4-4 in the second set after losing a first-set tie- breaker.
It was the first district championship for the Lady Tigers since they won two in a row in 2011 and 2012.

Friday at Carthage, Republic joined five other schools in competing for six berths in the state sectionals. At the end of the day, Republic had captured five
of them. In doubles play, the Lady
Tigers competed in an all- Republic final. Hannah Morgan and Katie Stiles teamed up to beat Abby McCord and Sedalia Shumaker for the district doubles championship. It was the first time in Republic history that the Lady Tigers filled out both halves of a district championship bracket.
In singles play, Elsie Crawford reached the district final before losing to Joplin’s Astrid Cardenas.
As district champs, Morgan and Stiles will play the runner-up from District 12 at sectionals next Tuesday. Crawford, Shumaker, and McCord will draw the Dis- trict 12 winners in their sectional match.

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Lawrence County Record

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