Tennessee: Garner, Reynolds play for A/AA singles titles

Friday, May 23, 2008


By:
Mallory Carra

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Boyd-Buchanan’s Tarah Garner, Notre Dame’s Jennifer Brouner and Jennifer Taylor and Chattanooga Christian’s Will Reynolds have taken their Spring Fling tennis debuts to the finals.

Garner and Reynolds will play for TSSAA Class A/AA state singles championships today at Middle Tennessee State University. Brouner and Taylor will play for the girls’ doubles title.

Reynolds beat Claiborne’s Daniel Barnett, 6-0, 6-2 to reach the boys’ championship match against University School of Jackson’s Ben Gaines. The CCS junior felt nervous during the Chargers’ team semifinal Tuesday and during the first set of his 6-4, 6-2 quarterfinal win Thursday against Donelson Christian Academy’s Michael Yokosak.

“I was unusually nervous on Tuesday, but by the second set of my first match today, I had gotten rid of that,” Reynolds said. “I’m feeling a lot better and having more fun. I really want to win this, which is part of the reason I’ve been nervous, but once I worked it out, I started playing a lot looser.”

Garner defeated Greenbrier’s Chloe Morris 6-0, 6-1 and beat Kingston’s Murielle Fischer, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the girls’ final against USJ’s Madison Patey.

Garner is the first Boyd-Buchanan tennis player to play for an individual state championship.

“Both matches were pretty tough and they were very consistent,” Garner said. “They were like playing a wall. I’m so glad I finally did it and got here. In the past, (former CCS player) Brittney McBryar kept beating me in the region, so I’m just excited to be here.”

In doubles, Ezell-Harding’s Erick Hale and David Hawkins beat CCS’s Andy Driggans and Jonny Herberich in a boys’ quarterfinal, 6-4, 6-1. Notre Dame’s Taylor and Brouner outlasted David Lipscomb’s Ellen Doss and Brooke Simmons for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 semifinal win.

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