Repeat finalists claim state tennis singles crowns

A repeat champion and a passing of the torch were celebrated on championship day at the Republic Bank/KHSAA State Singles and Doubles Tennis Championships on Saturday.

Senior Grace Jennings, the No. 2 overall seed from Louisville Christian, turned back top seed Michelle McKamey, a junior from McCracken County, 7-6, 6-4, to capture her second consecutive girls’ singles title.

Jennings won the championship last year while battling mononucleosis.

The senior needed a tiebreaker to survive her semifinal match Saturday at the University of Kentucky against St. Francis sophomore Eva Borders. Jennings eventually prevailed against the No. 4 seed, 6-7, 6-4, 1-0 (7).

In boys’ singles, St. Xavier junior Drew Singerman, the No. 1 overall seed, defeated No. 2 seed Alex Wesbrooks, his sophomore teammate at St. X, 6-2, 7-5.

Singerman picked up the torch from 2015 boys’ singles champion Brandon Lancaster of St. Xavier, who beat him in last year’s championship match. Lancaster is now a freshman on the University of Louisville tennis team.

Singerman dominated throughout the state tournament, winning all six of his matches over three days in straight sets.

In boys’ doubles, new champions were guaranteed when 2015 winners and 2016 No. 1 seeds Tommy Hagan and Logan McKinney of McCracken County were upset in Friday’s quarterfinals.

That opened the way for sophomore Preston Cameron and senior Matt Graft of St. Xavier, the tournament’s No. 2 seeds, to defeat Trinity seniors Trey Akmon and Tommy McConville, seeded No. 4, 6-1, 7-6, in Saturday’s finals.

Meanwhile, sophomore Maci Ferguson and senior Kierstin Hensley of Russell turned back senior Madelyn Kauffmann and eighth-grader Sophia Shiben of McCracken County, 6-0, 6-1, for the girls’ doubles crown. The Russell duo were seeded No. 1 and McCracken’s team No. 2.

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Repeat finalists claim state tennis singles crowns."