Pulaski Academy poised to make run at 19th title

Pulaski Academy will have a chance to add to its championship haul during the final day of the Class 5A state tennis tournament.

Michael Homsi breezed into the singles’ semifinals with a pair of strong outings Tuesday as the Bruins won five of their seven matches at the Rebsamen Tennis Center in Little Rock.

There were a number of standout performers on the opening day for the Bruins, whose 18 state boys’ crowns are the third-most all-time behind Hot Springs Lakeside’s 24 and Little Rock Catholic’s 20. But after having its seven-year run of championships end a year ago, Pulaski Academy looks to be in a good spot to pick up title No. 19.

The Bruins, however, will have to fend of challenges from several, including Van Buren and Valley View, to do so.

Homsi, a freshman, continued his torrid pace after winning last week’s 5A-Central Conference title by outlasting Greenwood’s J.J. Acosta 6-1, 6-4 in the first round. He would return later in the day to knock off Nettleton’s Landen Patterson 6-0, 6-3 and advance to the semifinals where he’ll face Seth Dunn of Van Buren, who roared past Weldon Woods of Little Rock Christian 6-1, 6-0 in round one before moving on when Searcy’s Gregory Lin retired in the third set of their second-round encounter.

The winner of that matchup will play either Maumelle’s Ethan Tan or Russellville’s Nester Carrero in the final at 12:30 p.m.

While Homsi was Pulaski Academy’s lone survivor in singles, the Bruins went 3-1 in doubles, with Brandon Nguyen and Nico Duina coasting into the semifinals after dropping one game total in its two matches. The duo will duel with Eli Adams and Josh Adair of Van Buren, with the survivors playing either William Killough and Zach Tancinco of Searcy or Pierce Blackmon and Finley Chafin of Mountain Home in the final.

On the girls’ side, a number of contenders are in the running for team titles. The Lady Bruins, who also won a league title last week, won’t have a representative in the singles’ semifinals, but they have a chance at bringing a doubles championship. Danna Homsi and Jaymie Angtuaco will look to repeat a state titlists after beating Kelsey Blackwell and Bella Dotson of Mountain Home 6-1, 6-0 and Hanna Robinson and Carlyn Smith of Searcy 6-0, 6-1. The tandem will square off against Valley View’s Kaylee Berry and Bella Seeman in one semifinal while Searcy’s Haley Tancinco and Avery Tranum entertain Mia Franciconi and Sabrina Long of Hot Springs Lakeside in the other.

The singles semifinals will feature last year’s finalist, Little Rock Parkview’s Emmory Simmons, against Greene County Tech’s Emily Rowe, and Russellville’s Brenna Burks battling Hannah Hyneman of Valley View.