Vail Christian girls tennis qualifies all 7 lines to Colorado 3A state tournament for fifth-straight year
Tomas Pecinka/Courtesy photo
For the fifth-straight season, the Vail Christian girls tennis team qualified all seven lines to the Colorado 3A individual state championship.
Going up against athletes from Aspen, Basalt, Cedaredge, Delta, Glenwood Springs, North Fork and Steamboat Springs, the Saints took the top step of every podium at the 3A Region 8 tournament held at Canyon View Park in Delta on Thursday and Friday. The top-2 finishers advanced to the state tournament next weekend in Colorado Springs.
“The regionals tournament was amazing for both the team as a whole and for me as an individual player,” said Alexa Blanch, who shut out her first two opponents before beating No. 2 seed Lucia Del Haya 6-0, 6-1 in the final. Team captain Heidi Iverson received a first-round bye, then swept Sophia Grogan of Glenwood Springs in the semifinals before capturing the No. 2 singles crown with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Perla Valdez.
“I love this team,” Iverson stated after the weekend. “There’s so much love and support from all the players, coaches and parents. It really is a family.”
No. 3 singles Ella Pecinka was ousted by eventual champion Jazlyn Naranjo in the semifinals. But Pecinka, the second seed, won her playback draw and then took down No. 1-ranked Mara Hoffner 6-1, 6-2 in the playback final to earn her trip to state.
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The Vail Christian pairings of Olivia Zajac and Autumn Woods, Camden Allen and Iris Blanch, Sabrina Nabonsal and Paige Asbury and Charly Landa and Corbynn Leonard won the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 doubles titles, respectively.
The 3A state tournament is May 7-9 at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs. Vail Christian has had six state champions going back to 2023. Blanch won the No. 2 singles title last year. Her brother, Daniel, also won a No. 2 singles title in 2023, the same year Heidi Iverson and Sofia Elalayli captured the crown at No. 4 doubles and Aria Webster and Kamryn Mitchell topped the No. 2 doubles bracket.
Vail Christian is also the No. 1 seed in the ongoing team state tournament. The Saints took down Eaton last week and face No. 5 Colorado Academy in the semifinals on May 5 at Homestead Court Club. There’s a history between the two clubs: in 2024, Vail Christian fell to the Mustangs in the team state championship.
“We are so excited for the girls as we step into the postseason and make a run for the state championships,” said Kirsten Webster, assistant coach.
“Everyone has worked so hard for this moment,” added head coach J.D. Webster. “Now it’s time to shine and go for it.”
