OKLAHOMA CITY — The future of Byng girls tennis is in excellent hands. Freshmen Landry Wilson and Naomi Kreis delivered a standout performance at the Class 4A State Tournament, clinching fifth place in No. 2 Doubles on Saturday.
"Naomi and Landry came in with high expectations for themselves. They've put in the time and hard work, and their improvement throughout the season has been remarkable," Byng girls coach Morganne Powell said. "Watching two freshmen battle it out at the state tournament and come away with a fifth-place finish was truly exciting."
The young duo capped their impressive run with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Riverfield's Sophia Diaz and Emily Kiker in the fifth-place match. Earlier Saturday, they defeated Anna Acree and Brynlee Liniger 7-6, 6-1, then cruised past Ardmore's Shaylin Sykes and Scarlett Galloway 6-1, 6-1.
Wilson and Kreis opened the tournament Friday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Community Christian's Stella Gorton and Katherine McMannis. They dropped into the consolation bracket after a hard-fought quarterfinal against Lincoln Christian's Karlie Jones and Grace Wheeler (3-6, 6-4, 6-2), but bounced back with determination.
Despite qualifying only three entries for the tournament, the Lady Pirates still managed a seventh-place finish in the final team standings. Ada captured the Class 4A state championship, followed by Riverfield Country Day School in second and Crossings Christian in third.
Powell is already looking ahead to what this talented freshmen pair can achieve. "There's no doubt these two will have a significant impact on the Byng tennis program in the coming years if they continue to compete and stay hungry for more," she said.
Junior Abi Canada and senior Emily Holloway also fought their way into a fifth-place match in No. 1 Doubles before falling to Riverfield's Nicya Moore and Katie Smith 6-1, 6-1. The duo opened the tournament with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Skiatook's Ryleigh Allen and Raegan Hipp, then defeated a Metro Christian team 6-2, 6-2 and Madeline Laufer and Josie McConnell 6-0, 7-5 in the consolation bracket, before a tough 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 quarterfinal loss to a team from The Academy.
Senior Kylee Hood finished 1-2 in No. 2 Singles. After dropping her opener to eventual state champion Zoe Jackson of Riverfield, Hood rebounded with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Ardmore's Aubryna Piggee before being eliminated by Elk City's Miranda Brasuell 6-3, 6-1.
With a rising core of young talent, the Byng program is poised for even greater success in the seasons ahead.