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Tennis Team Earns Applause: PT's Hemphill, Jang Advance To Regionals

Saturday, April 14, 2007, LNJ

JACKSONVILLE — Pine Tree's boys' doubles team of Blake Hemphill and Paul Jang earned second-place honors Thursday at the District 12-4A tennis meet.

Hemphill and Jang defeated Marshall's Lance Vanhemel and Justin Wyman 6-0, 6-0, then downed Nacogdoches' Clardy/Robinson 6-1, 6-0. The Buc duo advanced to the finals with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Jacksonville's Ross/Tyler before falling 6-1, 2-6, 6-0 to Nacogdoches' Clardy/Ventura.

Hemphill and Jang then beat teammates James Johnston and Blake Lever, who won third place, 6-3, 7-6, 7-4 in a playback match. Hemphill and Jang advance to the Region II meet at the University of North Texas' Waranch Tennis Complex in Denton April 25-26.

Johnson and Lever won two matches before falling to Nacogdoches' Clardy/Ventura in the semifinals.

PT's Jacob Merritt won three of his four boys' singles matches, while teammate Daniel Shin earned victories in two of three.

Pine Tree's Elyse McKinney won two of her three singles matches, defeating Jacksonville's Lakefia Hawkins 6-1, 6-0 and Whitehouse's Petra Matsia 6-0, 7-5. Lady Pirate Meghana Lanka also beat Hawkins, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

Pine Tree's girls' doubles team of Hannah Duke and April Rudy split its four matches Thursday, claiming victories over Henderson's Carilse/Maldonado (6-0, 6-2) and Whitehouse's Spalding/Gilchrist (6-0, 3-6, 6-4).

PT's Stacie Charlton and Pushpa Debulapalli lost 6-0, 6-0 to Nacogdoches' Knowles/Robinson, but came back to beat Marshall's Rustenhaven/Thomas 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Henderson's Carilse/Maldonado then downed Charlton and Debulapalli 6-1, 6-0.

Pirates Jared Crumpler and Amanda Sill won two of three mixed-doubles matches Thursday, beating Henderson's Mostyn/Bojorquez 6-1, 6-2 and Marshall's Hummel/Furlow.

Teammates Andy Thomas and Lindsey Grosdidier beat Nacogdoches' 6-3, 6-0 before losing to Kilgore's Carlson/Climer 6-2, 6-1. Thomas and Grosdidier then beat Marshall's Vasser and Craig.