Othello tennis surprises; four Tigers advance

EPHRATA — A total off 11 representatives from Columbia Basin-area Central Washington Athletic Conference (CWAC) tennis teams have fought their way into the coming weekend’s District tournament field at Grandview.

On Thursday, the CWAC District Play-In matches will take place featuring boys and girls doubles and singles matches.

Players from Ephrata and Othello have made their way to Grandview after their performances at the CWAC North Sub-District tournament that concluded on Monday in Ephrata.

For Othello, David Charles will try to advance in singles play needing to either win his first two matches or three out of four to qualify for the Class 2A state meet.

Charles finished third at Sub-Districts by beating Tyler VanHeusen of Ephrata 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. VanHeusen also qualified for a play-in match due to his fourth place finish.

The Huskies’ doubles teams represented Othello very well as three teams made the girls’ field.

Kayla Spor and Jody Walker qualified after completing a run to second place in Sub-Districts. They fell to Daphne Hall and Joelle Smart of Ellensburg, 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

The teams of Jocelyn Cantu and Emma Hymus and Yanitta Cantu and Amelia Roylance also snuck in after they both fought their way to the 3rd/4th place match where they ultimately faced off.

Jocelyn Cantu and Hymus ended up holding on for a 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-4 win.

Ephrata’s Chloe Schmidt is headed to Grandview as well after finishing fourth in girls’ singles and she will be joined by VanHeusen and the boys doubles team of Connor and Hunter Sears which finished third when they pulled out a 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) win in the 3rd/4th place match.