For the Daily Journal
Defending champion tournament-host Center Grove breezed by Whiteland 5-0 in Thursday’s semifinals of the girls tennis sectional.
Greenwood beat Franklin 3-2 in the Thursday’s other semifinal.
The 10th-ranked Trojans (13-3) will meet Greenwood (10-2) in today’s 4:30 p.m. championship match.
Center Grove senior Madison Smeathers, who plays No. 2 singles, said the Trojans have the depth for a lengthy postseason run.
“On the court you have to get in the work all the time because we have so much depth and there’s always someone right there behind you trying to take your spot,” Smeathers said. “We do a lot of team bonding at the beginning of the season and with our practices day end and day out, we really have come to know one another very well.”
Smeathers and doubles partner junior Carleigh Hardin won 6-0, 6-1 against Whiteland senior Lucy Foster and Hannah Blum.
In the No. 1 doubles match, Center Grove junior Bailey Sammons and sophomore Cassidy Hardin defeated Warriors juniors Danielle Patterson and Avneet Badwal 6-2, 6-1.
At No. 1 singles, Isabella Schoolcraft defeated Whiteland freshman Reese Johnson, 6-0, 6-0.
Junior Maddie Weeks also had an easy time in her No. 2 singles match, defeating Whiteland junior Paityn Gossett 6-0, 6-0.
And at No. 3 singles, freshman Ellie Strube got by Warriors freshman Bri Harwell, 6-0, 6-1.
In the match between Greenwood and Franklin, the result came down to No. 1 where Greenwood senior Abby Chatham defeated Kate Heuchan 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-4 in a grueling two and half hour match.
Greenwood’s win was its third 3-2 victory this season against the Grizzly Cubs, including the regular season and the Johnson County Tournament.
In the No. 2 singles match, sophomore Abi Smith got by junior Molly Jacobs 6-2, 6-0. And at No. 3 singles, Greenwood sophomore Maddie Bright defeated Franklin senior Madison Long, 6-4, 6-3.
In the doubles competition, the Woodmen and Cubs split a pair.
In the No. 1 doubles match, Franklin’s Nina Biasi and freshman Daryn Hyneman beat Greenwood seniors Joanna Moran and Ally Newman 6-4, 7-5.
Greenwood senior Sadie Brooks combined with sophomore Alyssa Rosco to defeat Franklin junior Kathryn Burk and sophomore Ella Phifer 6-1, 6-3 in the No. 2 doubles match.
