Central netters try to repeat as district champions

Led by two of the top three teams in the doubles bracket, the Central girls tennis team will begin its quest for a second straight district title today when the Class 2 District 1 tournament begins at Central.

The team of Dani Gross and Monica Toole are seeded first, while Sarah Ford and Lindsey Pingel are seeded third.

Last year, the Tigers edged Rockwood Summit and Lindbergh for the district crown, winning by a half-point.

"I think it's going to be really close," Central coach Annette Slattery said. "Obviously we have a shot at it. Rockwood Summit has a shot at it. When I look at all the other teams, out of the 10 teams there's four or five teams in the running."

Central had a doubles team qualify for state last year and has a chance to send two this season if they can reach Thursday's final. The top two doubles teams and the top two individuals advance to the state tournament.

"We hope we get to play them in the finals," sophomore Pingel said. "We all four want to go to state."

Pingel and fellow sophomore Ford actually beat the No. 2 seed, Melissa Cullmann and Michelle Ruf of Lindbergh, 8-1 during the regular season. Central's all-sophomore team will open with Ashley Hammers and Stephanie Forsythe of Farmington in the second round after an opening-round bye.

"My No. 3 seed thinks they'll be No. 1," Slattery said.

Central's No. 1 doubles team of Gross and Toole, both seniors, will face Diane Serati and Aimee Dumay of Rockwood Summit in the second round after having a bye to start the tournament.

Toole said the team does not feel any added pressure being the top seed.

"I think we have more confidence being the top seed," she said.

Gross teamed with then-senior Brett Ford last year to earn a state berth. Toole was part of a doubles team that reached the district semifinals.

A trip to state would mean a lot to both players, Gross said.

"Especially since this is our senior year," she said. "We both want to go."

While the two Central teams will be out to win if they face each other, during the season they have helped make each other better. The two teams have hit against each other in practice throughout the year.

"It really helps to have two teams in doubles to push each other, which these two have done throughout the year," Slattery said.

In singles play, Central will enter Kristen Ford and Paige Foley. Foley has a first-round bye, while Kristen Ford will open with fifth-seeded Priya Gujarati of Poplar Bluff.

Rockwood Summit's Sara Helbig and Lauren Needham are seeded first and second, respectively. Both Helbig and Needham advanced to the state tournament last year.

Jackson will enter Alynda Lane and Sarah Hinkebein in the singles draw. The Indians will send out Shannon Cobb and Ellyn Beil in one doubles entry and Jessica Drum and Sarah Detring in the other.

The district tournaments have another layer this season to determine the two teams that advance to sectionals. In the past, the top two teams from the district tournaments advanced to sectionals. This year, the top four teams after Thursday will play in team district. The top team will host the No. 4 team and the No. 2 team will host the No. 3 team, and the winners will advance to sectional play.

"I'm open-minded, I'm OK with it," Slattery said. "I think if you're the third- or fourth-place team, it's a good thing because you have another shot at it. To me, I'd like to play another match than to have a practice before sectionals. It keeps them sharp. It's just another chance to prove yourself."