A pair of singles players and a doubles team will represent Bearcat tennis in the Class 3A state tournament next week in Conway.
Noah Harrel, Angie Brown, and the doubles team of sisters Emma and Anna Ferguson all qualified for the state event through Thursday’s grueling district tournament in Jessieville and Hot Springs Village that saw players arrive home about 1 a.m. Friday.
Harrel was the top seeded boys player in the field and took down two opponents in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2 in the in the quarterfinal round and the same scores in a semifinal match.
Due to the lateness of the event the finals was cut to a single set rather than a best of three, which went to his opponent, 6-1.
The final girls doubles match was also altered to winning an 8-game set, with the Fergusons falling 8-3.
To get to the finals Anna and Emma Ferguson won their opening match 7-5, 6-3 then won a semifinal match 6-1 and 6-2.
After a 6-1 and 6-1 quarterfinal win Brown was forced to win a third place match to secure a berth in the state field and did so with an eight game set win, 8-1.
Also competing in girls singles was Raelynn Franklin, who won her opening match, 8-4, before being eliminated by the eventual champion 6-3 and 6-2.
In addition to the sisters, the Lady Bearcats were represented in doubles by Baylee Parnell and Harley Fitzjurls, who won their first match 6-1 and 6-4 before a semifinal loss. The duo was unable to earn the third seed with an 8-4 loss in that match.
Whit Kendall and Hunter Pollard won a first round match in boys doubles then drew the top seeded team, who had a bye, and were eliminated.
Aiden Carter and Wesley Fonseca dropped their only set of the day.
The Class 3A state tournament is set for next Monday and Tuesday.
