PUEBLO – Pressure obviously didn’t bother the powerhouse Cheyenne Mountain High School girls tennis program Tuesday at the City Park Complex.
The Indians won five of their seven semifinal matches in the morning to clinch their seventh Class 4A state championship in a row.
“We are very excited that we were able to win this title (Tuesday),” veteran Cheyenne Mountain coach Dave Adams said. “We had a very good season and we had very high expectations coming into this tournament, but when you come down here (to state), it’s still very difficult to win. Fortunately, we stepped up and played well and we got the job done.”
The Indians clinched state, thanks to semifinal wins by Daniela Adamczyk (No. 2 singles), Jessica Metz (No. 3 singles) and Casey Ahrendsen and Ally Arenson (No. 1 doubles), Tory Louis and Claire Dibble (No. 2 doubles), and Megan Dibble and Chelsey Geisz (No. 3 doubles).
The championship matches begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
After the semis, Cheyenne Mountain had tallied 61 points and the two closest teams in the team chase Colorado Academy and Kent Denver could only finish with 51 and 47 points if each team won all of their remaining matches.
Cheyenne finished Day 2 of the tourney with 62 points, followed by Kent Denver (38) and Colorado Academy (37).
The Indians have now captured 20 state girls tennis crowns in school history. Their record for consecutive state titles in a row is eight from 1991-1998. The Cheyenne Mountain boys tennis program has won 17 state titles.
Daniela Adamczyk.
“It feels great to win state again,” Adamczyk, a junior, said. “I’m especially happy that I was able to do my part and contribute to our team winning state again. It’s really hard to put into words what it means to be a part of this program and it’s big deal to us to keep winning state.”
Cheyenne Mountain had a chance to put all of their players in the finals, but Peyton Fielding (No. 1 singles), and Tatumn Mika and Rachel Perry (No. 4 doubles) lost in the semis. Mika and Perry are playing for third place Wednesday.
Fielding was upended by Steamboat Springs freshman Tatum Burger and Mika and Perry were outlasted by D’Evelyn’s Trinity Payne and Cammy Lee in three sets. Burger meets senior Alex Weil of St. Mary’s Academy in the finals.
Cheyenne Mountain’s No. 1 through No. 3 doubles teams all played in the same positions last season with the same partners and each are trying to repeat as state champs.
“We just need to have a workmanlike attitude (Wednesday),” Adams said. “It’s great that we’ve already won the team title and that will let us relax a little bit, but no one wants to end the season with a loss. I know all our girls want to win, and will be ready to play.”
Adamczyk, meanwhile, is aiming to win her first state title after losing in the state finals at No. 3 singles as a freshman and No. 2 singles as a sophomore. Adamczyk faces Kent Denver’s Caroline Kawula in the finals. Kawula defeated Adamczyk in straight sets earlier this season.
“The first set of that match I was leading 5-2 before I lost in a tiebreaker, so I know I can play with her,” Adamczyk said. “I just have to play my match and hopefully this will be the time I win (state). That’s my goal.”