State-experienced doubles team leads Tigers' district title hopes

~ Ford and Pingel have the top seed in the doubles bracket.

An all-Central finals in doubles last year helped propel the Tigers to their second straight girls tennis district title.

Central has the doubles favorite this year with the top-seeded team of juniors Sarah Ford and Lindsey Pingel, the defending district champions. But if the Tigers are to claim a third straight district crown, they will need to get strong contributions from a pair of unseeded singles players and an unseeded doubles team.

"Every year, it's a brand new ball game," Central coach Annette Slattery said. "This year we have one team seeded. You look at Parkway South and they have a singles and a doubles team in there. Eureka has two seeds in the district as well, and those are teams we don't usually get to face in the dual season.

"If you look at the teams to beat, on paper, it's Parkway South and Eureka."

The Class 2 District 1 tournament will begin 9 a.m. today at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis' Forest Park. The tournament will conclude Saturday.

Top two finishers in singles and doubles advance to the state tournament. The top four teams will square off against each other in the regional playoff round on Tuesday, with the champion hosting the fourth-place team and the second-place team hosting the No. 3 team. The two winners move on to the sectional round.

Central, 15-0 in the dual season, was ousted last season by District 1 newcomer Parkway South in the sectional.

"You don't want to look too far ahead," Slattery said. "I want to say one match at a time, but it's almost one point at a time. When you count up places at district, two points is a big deal. You need all six players doing their part and contributing."

Ford and Pingel should provide the Tigers with a good shot at a doubles district title. As sophomores, Ford and Pingel defeated senior teammates Dani Gross and Monica Toole in the district finals as the No. 3 seed.

"Since we've been playing together for three years, we work well together as a team," Ford said. "I like the baseline, and she likes to be aggressive at the net. It works well."

The team of Meeva Shah and Marcia Klopf of Eureka is seeded second. Stephanie Krieger and MaRayun Neals of Parkway South are seeded third.

In singles, Parkway South sophomore Laura Richardson is seeded first, and Cor Jesu sophomore Katie Wanner is seeded second.

"Personally, I think our team is really strong," Pingel said. "I think we have a chance to get to state as a team. I'm a little nervous about Eureka because we didn't get to see them, but I'm really excited. I think Sarah and I will play well."

In singles, the Tigers will enter Christen Edmonds and Kristen Ford. Edmonds will play Jenny Kremer of Mehlville in the opening round, and Kristen Ford will have an opening-round bye and will play No. 3 seed Priya Gujarati of Poplar Bluff in the second round.

Edmonds and Kristen Ford played No. 2 doubles during the season for the Tigers, and were the Nos. 3 and No. 4 singles players.

"I think they feel better and stronger in singles," Slattery said. "It's a struggle sometimes switching doubles all season, but this was kind of in the back of my mind all along."

Claire Segar and Carsen Bahn will be Central's second doubles entry. Segar and Bahn will play Maura Neader and Allison Keiper of Jackson in the opening round.

"I realize they haven't faced the toughest competition [in dual play], but they've faced tough competition in practice and held their own," Slattery said. "I think they have a good draw, and I'm telling them I think they can do it."

Jackson, which finished with a winning dual record under first-year coach David Brummel, does not have a seeded player.

In singles, Alynda Lane will face Tori Wheeler of Oakville in the opening round. The winner will take on No. 2 seed Wanner in the second round. Ellyn Beil will take on Rachel Raineri of Lindbergh in Jackson's other singles opener.

Erinne Haff and Sarah Detring will face Megan Brendel and Amadna Macklin of Oakville in Jackson's other doubles match.