By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–The tradition continues.
Adding to its illustrious tennis history that has spanned more than three decades, Union City claimed both the girls’ singles and doubles District 13A championships Tuesday at UT Martin.
Freshman Bertie Jenkins stunned the singles field, knocking off No. 2 seed Jenna Magee (6-4, 6-2) of Greenfield in the semifinals before then capping her magical run with a straight-sets 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Huntingdon’s Lexie Stevens in the finals.
Playing with tremendous confidence and poise, Jenkins – who played at the No. 5 seed for most of the season for the Lady Tornadoes – did not lose a single set in her three tournament matches.
The top-seeded doubles team of Shelby Bondurant and Molly Kizer won an all-Union City championship round, beating No. 2 Dani and Davey Frankum 6-3, 6-3. Both Lady Tornado duos earlier won their semifinal matches Tuesday, the Frankum sisters – last year’s district champs – cruising past Greenfield’s Courtney Matthews and Ginny Archie 6-1, 6-2.
Bondurant and Kizer, the pre-tourney favorites, withstood a first-set challenge by Obion Central’s Hannah Strauser and Hannah Taylor in the semis, winning a tiebreaker 8-6 before completing the triumph with a 6-2 victory in the second set.
Union City’s boys’ tandem of Gavin Pledge and Charleton Wisener – the second seed – made it to the tourney finals with a semifinal victory over Obion Central’s Braden Elam and Sam Cunningham (6-0, 6-1) before dropping a hard-fought championship tilt to Huntingdon’s Seth Ricketts and Shawn Simpson. Ricketts and Simpson won a tiebreaker 10-2 after the two teams split the first two sets.
All seven UC players who made it to Tuesday’s finals will advance on to the individual regional tournament on May 15 and 16.
Girls’ Singles
Semifinal Match
Bertie Jenkins (UC) vs. Jenna Magee (Greenfield) 6-4, 6-2
Championship Match
Bertie Jenkins (UC) vs. Lexie Stevens (Huntingdon) 6-3, 6-2
Girls’ Doubles
Semifinal Match
Davey Frankum/Dani Frankum (UC) vs. Courtney Matthews/Ginny Archie (Greenfield) 6-1, 6-2
Shelby Bondurant/Molly Kizer (UC) vs. Hannah Strauser/Hannah Taylor (OC) 8-8/ 8-6 Tiebreak, 6-2
Championship Match
Bondurant/Kizer(UC) vs. Frankum/Frankum (UC) 6-3, 6-3
Boys’ Doubles
Semifinal Match
Gavin Pledge/Charleton Wisener (UC) vs. Braden Elam/Sam Cunningham (OC) 6-0,6-1
Championship Match
Pledge/Wisener (UC) vs. Seth Ricketts/Shawn Simpson (Huntingdon) 6-0, 4-6, 2-10 Tiebreak
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 8, Halls 5
The Lady Tornadoes ended their regular season the same way they began the year – beating Halls.
Marlee Theobald had two hits, scored three times, and drove in three runs to send UC into tournament play on a winning note. Emmaline Qualls went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs, and Caitlyn Hoffman and Kennedi Robinson each doubled for the Purple and Gold.
Addison Carr went the distance to pick up the pitching triumph.
Union City will face Milan Thursday at 5 p.m. at Huntingdon in the opening round of the District 12AA Tournament.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS
TCA 4, UC 3 (G)
UC 3, TCA 2 (B)
UC Middle School’s teams closed out their regular season with a pair of matches that went down to the wire.
The Lady Tornadoes showcased their superior depth, winning 13 of 20 matches in all.
Blythe Ogden won in both singles and doubles play, as did Briley McKinney and Stellar Turner. Rylan Bondurant won twice in singles and doubles, while Phoebe Coleman was a two-time winner.
Kobe Kirk and Grant Sinclair triumphed in singles and doubles for the UC boys.
Girls Singles
Emma Mobbs 1-6
Emma Jane Rice 5-7
Blythe Ogden 6-1
Allie Vincent 2-6
Briley McKinney 6-1
Maddie Bailey 4-6
Marley Waddell 3-6
Stella Turner 6-0
Rylan Bondurant 6-0
Phoebe Coleman 6-0
Kenslie Taylor 4-6
Emmalynn McClanahan 6-3
Rylan Bondurant 6-0 *2nd match
Girls Doubles
Mobbs/Rice 1-6
Ogden/Vincent 6-4
McKinney/Bailey 6-4
Waddell/Turner 6-3
Bondurant/Coleman 6-1
Taylor/McClanahan 6-2
Bondurant/Coleman 6-2 *2nd match
Boys Singles
Kobe Kirk 6-3
Grant Sinclair 6-0
Kipton Powers 4-6
Boys Doubles
Kirk/Sinclair 6-0
Camden Dawkins/Powers 2-6
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Huntingdon 9, UC 4
The Tornadoes (9-14) fell into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination District 12AA Tournament with their fifth straight loss.
A pair of errors led to five unearned Huntingdon runs, and UC hurt its cause by striking out 10 times.
Copeland Chism went 2-for-4 with a run scored to pace the Twisters offensively. Kyler Southerland and Luke Joslin singled and scored, while Skylar Hall, Will Ragsdale, and Barrett Cox had RBIs.
Landon Hauhe gave up four earned runs in five innings, striking out nine.
UC will face the loser of Wednesday’s Gibson County-Westview contest in an elimination game Thursday afternoon at 4:30.
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
Peabody 2, UC 0
The Tide spoiled Senior Night for Union City’s lone 12th grader, Miguel Sanchez, in the Tornadoes’ final home match of the season.
Trenton scored both its goals in the first 17:11 to drop UC to 4-7 on the year.
The Twisters managed just three shots on goal, two of those by Marcos Landeros.
Jayce Rogers turned away a dozen shots in goal.
Union City will play Westview in the district tournament semifinals next week.