Valley tennis players set to make debut in state championships

PALMER — With some extra persuasion, Colony High tennis coach Susan Brunner may have found the best preparation for a Knights program making its state tournament debut.

Colony, a first-year squad making its first appearance in the ASAA/First National Bank State Tennis Championships today in Anchorage, gained some unexpected experience during a recent road trip to the Interior. Colony’s five athletes who qualified for the state meet — Peyton Johnstone, Michael Connor, Alex Tenditnyk, Owen Ballos and Michael Crawford — scrimmaged players from Lathrop, West Valley, Monroe Catholic and Hutchison during a set of unofficial matches in Fairbanks.

The action may have been unofficial on paper. But for Colony, it’s exactly what the Knights needed.

“I had been talking to the Lathrop coach all along,” Brunner said of the opportunity to scrimmage. “They didn’t really want to do it. It was after regions, and their kids really didn’t need it. I kind of begged her. Our kids really did need it.”

Brunner said if Lathrop was willing to host, Colony would be there.

“It turned out to be awesome,” Brunner said.

Colony’s five state qualifiers had the chance to face players they may face in the state meet. But they weren’t the only Knights who benefited.

Brunner said the Knights took their entire team to Fairbanks and scrimmaged only athletes who were bound for the state meet. Brunner said some of the matches produced lopsided results, with Knights on the losing end, but gaining experience was the long-term goal.

“The (Colony) kids who are not state qualifiers got their butts kicked. But it was like, oh my gosh, this is real tennis, this is what I really need to work on,” Brunner said.

Brunner said these players are already talking about joining the team next year, and using the offseason to work on what they’ve learned.

It’s not the first time this season that persistence, and a long trip, paid off for the Knights.

Prior to this season, Kodiak had the lone tennis team in Region III. Colony coaches told Kodiak officials, if Kodiak hosted a meet, the Knights would be there. Colony made the trek to Kodiak, and the trip produced five state qualifiers for the Knights.

Colony opens state tournament play this morning at Alaska Club East in Anchorage.

Johnstone meets West Valley’s Maddie Baumharten in girls’ singles at 9 a.m. Ballos and Crawford will play Service’s Aden Moon and Dylan Bruce in boys’ doubles at 10:15 a.m. Connor and Tenditnyk play Chugiak’s Izzy Larue and Jed Butikofer in mixed doubles at 12:30 p.m.

The Colony athletes qualified for state with wins during the Region III meet in Kodiak earlier this season.

Heading into the season, Brunner said the Colony coaches had no idea what to expect out of a Colony team that was a school club for the previous two years before evolving into an official varsity sport.

“We are totally excited. This is way more than we ever anticipated,” Brunner said.

Palmer also has a player making his state tennis championships today. Johnie Burton, the lone player on the Moose tennis team, plays Kelson McPherson of Juneau-Douglas in boys’ singles at 8 a.m.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.