3A girls tennis: Jordaan repeats to lead individual state champions
COLORADO SPRINGS – We’ve seen it before with the elite level players in Colorado. They bid adieu to their high school and opt for bigger things and often times better competition on the national circuit.
Anna Jordaan is different.
The Colorado Academy senior bleeds Mustangs black and red.
“I’ve played a lot of junior tennis, but this is the first time I’ve really been on a team and for the last four years, I’ve had the chance to compete next to my classmates and my friends,” said Jordaan shortly after she claimed her second No. 1 singles title in three years with a dominant performance against D’Evelyn’s Evelyn Oltman, 6-0, 6-1 at Memorial Park. “And I think I will take away more from this experience than all of the juniors combined.”
It’s humbling talk from a kid that bought in.
The Naval Academy bound Jordaan was facing Oltmans for the third time this season and she only allowed the Jags junior one game each time. Her dazzling blend of powerful groundstrokes and deft touch makes her difficult to read and even tougher for the opposition to scout.
Jordaan was dominant from the get-go and even with the power, limited the unforced errors, waiting for Oltmans to make the mistakes. She rolled through the title match in just under 60 minutes.
It was sweet redemption after an injury plagued junior season — a broken foot hampered her season and cost her a chance at defending her 2021 title.
“I feel like I have grown up at [Colorado Academy] and I am so grateful for everything they have done for me,” said Jordaan, who has been on the CA campus since she was in kindergarten. “This was a sweet end to the story, a redemption if you will.
“I think the most important part was that it was my senior season and that made it so special. Being a captain and being able to lead from the front with my teammates is really what made this victory so sweet.”
So what’s next for arguably one of the best players to come through our state in a long time?
She will head to Annapolis, Md. to major in engineering and continue her playing career.
“Obviously, I love the sport of tennis and I have so much appreciation for everything that it has taught me,” she said. “But I think the lessons I have learned are going to outlast my days on the court by a million.”
The diversity at the top of the singles ladder was on full display in Colorado Springs and 3A crowned singles champions from three different schools.
Peak to Peak sophomore Sydney Lewis, who honestly surprised herself by even getting to Saturday’s title match, played her third consecutive marathon match and outlasted Colorado Academy’s Katherin Pulido 3-6, 7-6, 6-0 for her first state title.
On Friday, Lewis had her hands full with Pueblo Centennial’s Quincy Nakaguma, eventually winning in two grueling sets 7-6, 6-4. Then, playing her third match of the day, she went three sets against D’Evelyn’s Sofia Ciesleweicz to make the title match.
It was another marathon against Pulido and she had to rally to do so. After dropping the first set, she won the second in a tiebreaker. She used that momentum and had just enough gas in the tank to roll 6-0 in the third.
“I think right now I’m just running on adrenaline,” she said. “But tonight, I am going to be tired and my legs are going to hurt really bad.
“I didn’t think I was going to get past the semifinals, so winning this here is just amazing.”
It was the first of three individual titles for the Pumas. The No. 1 doubles team of Sydney Parkinson and Ranye Ezenekwe, who knocked off the top seed from Holy Family in Friday’s semifinals, prevailed in three sets against Steamboat Springs’ Kelsey Norland and Evan Quinn, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. Also at No. 3 doubles, Rorie West and Josie Adams won in three sets against the team from Vail Christian.
It wasn’t all bad for the Saints, who played as Vail Mountain last season. Vail Christian won titles at Nos. 2 and 4 doubles, including the freshmen grouping of Heidi Iverson and Sofia Elalayli at 4s. They beat Holy Family’s Katelyn Morris and Alesandra Wise on Tuesday in the dual state tournament and turned around and did it again on Saturday, 7-5, 6-1.
D’Evelyn will play top-seeded Holy Family on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Denver’s City Park for the Class 3A team title, and the Jags crowned one champion. Senior Maisy Schoenman went out a state champion with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Vail Christian’s Jessie Allen.
CLASS 3A INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Memorial Park in Colorado Springs
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
No. 1 singles — Anna Jordaan, Colorado Academy def. Evelyn Oltmans, D’Evelyn, 6-0, 6-1.
No. 2 singles — Sydney Lewis, Peak to Peak def. Katherine Pulido, Colorado Academy, 3-6, 7-6, 6-0.
No. 3 singles — Maisy Schoeman, D’Evelyn def. Jessie Allen, Vail Christian, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3.
No. 1 doubles — Sydney Parkinson/Ranye Ezenekwe, Peak to Peak def. Kelsey Norland/Evan Quinn, Steamboat Springs, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.
No. 2 doubles — Aria Webster/Kamryn Mitchell, Vail Christian def. Sabrea Schulte/Sky Young, D’Evelyn, 6-2, 6-3.
No. 3 doubles — Rorie West/Josie Adams, Peak to Peak def. Jenna Elalayli/Sofie Brunner, Vail Christian, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
No. 4 doubles — Heidi Iverson/Sofia Elalayli, Vail Christian def. Katelyn Morris, Alesandra Wise, 7-5, 6-1.
