Arkansas High tennis excited about its chances
Tennis is an elegant sport full of grace, battle of wills, stubbornness and endurance.
Arkansas High head tennis coach Mason McCloud is excited about his team’s potential to win as it battles rival schools in the Conference 6A tennis championships today in Little Rock.
“We have high expectations and should be sending a full team to state,” McCloud said. In order to qualify for state, a player must finish in the top six from each classification— boys’ singles, girls’ singles, boys’ doubles, and girls’ doubles.
Cordy McJunkins comes into the tournament as the No. 1 seed in boys’ singles and has not dropped a match this season. McJunkins, a junior, set a goal of earning first place in conference earlier in the season.
“He (McJunkins) has set himself up well to win it all,” McCloud said. “His closest match this year was 8-4. Last year he finished third at state.”
Michael Blair is seeded sixth, and has played solid tennis all year for the Razorbacks. Blair was seeded fifth, but can not be on the same half of the conference tournament bracket as teammate McJunkins due to a rule.
“Blair has a very aggressive backhand,” McCloud said. “He forces his opponents to hit shots they don’t want to hit. Blair can trade shots a long time with his opponent and uses his great serve and volley in long matches; he never gets tired.”
Representing Arkansas High in girls’ singles are Amy Claire Mugno and Reese Chesshir.
“Amy Claire is the No. 4 seed and is just a freshman,” McCloud said. “She has a great backhand and could be
overlooked in the tournament because she is young. Mugno could surprise many opponents and is very talented.
“Reese is the No. 6 seed and likes to force opponents up to her level of play,” the Razorback head coach said. “She generally outlasts her competition.”
In girls’ doubles Beth Ann Dowd and Sarah Norwood are the No. 5 seed, while Tara Smithson and Bree Smith are seeded seventh.
“Dowd and Norwood are best friends and communicate well,” McCloud said. “They never quit and have won several tie breakers this season. They will find a weakness and have won matches intelligently.
“Smithson and Smith had a really good season and have only been playing tennis for a year, each. Bree (Smith) has a good forehand, and Tara (Smithson) has a good backhand—they compliment each other well.”
Competing in boys’ doubles for Arkansas High is the No. 4 seeded team of Colton Robinson and Braeden Shaw as well as the No. 6 seed Tyler Dawson and Wade Bradford.
“Robinson and Shaw don’t go away,” the Hog head coach said. “They never loose easily and never stop fighting. Wade (Bradford) started at the bottom and has worked his way up. Dawson and Bradford have two of the most explosive forehands on the team.”
Arkansas High competes in the state tournament next Monday in Russellville, Ark.