Vestavia Hills Sweeps AHSAA Class 7A Tennis Championships
Mobile, AL – In a spectacular finish at the 79th AHSAA State Tennis Championships held Tuesday in Mobile, Vestavia Hills boys claimed victory in the AHSAA singles finals. Claiming a total of 58 points under the guidance of Coach Oliver Aaron, the Rebels clinched the boys’ title, adding a ninth state championship to their record and securing their third consecutive state title. The competition saw Florence as the runner-up with 56 points, followed by Auburn with 20 points.
Parallel to the boys’ success, coach Timarie Fisk’s Vestavia Hills’ girls’, also triumphed in the 7A state championship, marking their third consecutive win with a score of 41 points. This victory edged out the defending state champions from Auburn, who secured second place with 30 points after winning the final doubles match against Huntsville, which took the third spot with 27 points. Montgomery Academy rounded off the top four with 20 points, underscoring the Lady Rebels’ 13th overall title victory.
Senior prodigy, Luke Bedwell, led the charge by capturing the No. 1 singles title, overpowering Porter Hornigold of Fairhope with a decisive 6-0, 6-1 victory. This marked his third consecutive state tennis title, albeit his first at the No. 1 level after previously winning the No. 2 singles crown in 2023 and taking home the No. 5 singles title in 2022 on behalf of the Rebels.
Despite a fervent challenge from Florence and defending 7A state champion Auburn for runner-up spot, none could surpass the prowess displayed by the Vestavia players in the singles finals. The Rebels’ victories also included John Michael Yanosky at No. 2 singles, Andrew Pipkin at No. 3, Brayden Helms at No. 4, Louis Kolettis at No. 5, and Parker Liu at No. 6, marking a historic ninth state title for the Rebel boys.
Barrera to capture the 7A No. 1 doubles title for the second year in a row.
(AHSAA PHOTO | David Holtsford)
The state tennis championships kicked off with events in classes 7A and 4A/5A, spanning both boys’ and girls’ competitions from Monday, leading to a captivating conclusion on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Class 4A/5A matches were still ongoing at the culmination of the 7A finals, setting the stage for classes 1A/3A and Class 6A to hold their state tennis tournaments at the Mobile Tennis Center later this week.
The Rebels also achieved distinction in the doubles categories, winning two out of three titles with Helms and Yanosky taking the No. 1 doubles crown, while Pipkin and Kolettis emerged victorious at No. 3 doubles. In the most competitive match of the tournament, Florence’s Jake Champion and Jack White overcame Vestavia’s Ben Cusmariu and Bedwell, 6-4, 2-6, 10-6, in the No. 2 doubles finals.
Not to be outdone, the Vestavia Hills girls’ demonstrated their dominance by securing four of the six singles titles and one doubles title. Montgomery Academy’s Gabby Barrera retained her 7A title for the second year in succession, defeating Huntsville’s Mazie MacGrotty 6-4, 6-4 in a compelling championship match. With aspirations to become the seventh female netter in state history to clinch four consecutive No. 1 singles state titles, Mountain Brook’s Pippa Roy, holding an impeccable 33-0 four-year career record, looked ahead to her matches with anticipation.
For the Rebels’ girls’ team, state titles were captured by Kensley Outzen at No. 2, Caroline Helms at No. 3, Peyton Standifer at No. 5, and Riley McClain at No. 6. In a thrilling doubles finale, Helms and Wynn Strudel clinched a victory over Auburn’s Victoria Choo and Sophie Smith with scores of 4-6, 7-5, 10-6.
Hoover’s Lady Bucs were honored with the Class 7A girls’ tournament Sportsmanship Award, highlighting the spirit of camaraderie and competition that defined the event.
Looking ahead, AHSAA schools are gearing up for a bustling next three weeks as spring sports enter the state playoffs, featuring soccer, softball, golf, and E-sports championships, each promising excitement and showcasing the talents of young athletes across the state.
AHSAA 2024 STATE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
MOBILE TENNIS CENTER
Monday’s Results/Tuesday’s Pairings
Class 7A
Boys’ Team Scoring
Vestavia Hills 58
Florence 26
Auburn 20
Hoover 16
Bob Jones 14
Montgomery Academy 9
Fairhope 4
Daphne 0
CLASS 7A BOYS’ SINGLES
Tuesday’s Championship Pairings
No. 1: Luke Bedwell, Vestavia Hills d. Porter Hornigold, Fairhope, 6-0, 6-1
No. 2: John Michael Yanosky, Vestavia Hills d. Jonah Moro, Bob Jones, 6-1, 6-3
No. 3: Andrew Pipkin, Vestavia Hills d. Jason Wang, Auburn, 6-1, 6-0
No. 4: Brayden Helms, Vestavia Hills d. Cade Black, Florence, 6-2, 6-3
No. 5: Louis Kolettis, Vestavia Hills d. Shin Kim, Auburn, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 14-12
No. 6: Parker Liu, Vestavia Hills d. Wyler Washburn, Hoover, 6-3, 6-2
Tuesday’s Doubles Semifinal Pairings
No. 1: Brayden Helms/John Michael Yanosky, Vestavia Hills d. Cohen Joiner/Cade Black, Florence, 6-4, 6-3
No. 2: Jake Champion/Jack White, Florence d. Ben Cusmariu/Luke Bedwell, Vestavia Hills, 6-4. 2-6, 10-6
No. 3: Andrew Pipkin/Louis, Kolettis, Vestavia Hills d. Jackson Plugge/C.L. Colby, Hoover, 6-2, 6-3
Class 7A Girls
Team Scoring
Vestavia Hills 41
Auburn 30
Huntsville 27
Montgomery Academy 20
Hoover 13
Fairhope 10
James Clemens 4
Daphne 0
CLASS 7A GIRLS’ SINGLES
Tuesday’s Championship Matches
No. 1: Gabby Barrera, Montgomery Academy d. Mazie MacGrotty, Huntsville, 6-4, 6-4
No. 2: Kenley Outzen, Vestavia Hills d. Mae Mae Voltz, Montgomery Academy, 6-4, 6-3
No. 3: Caroline Helms, Vestavia Hills d. Lola Campbell, Montgomery Academy, 6-1, 6-1
No. 4: Kristina Hwangpo, Hoover c. Hanbi Youn, Auburn, 6-2, 6-1
No. 5: Peyton Standifer, Vestavia Hills d. Emie Little, Huntsville, 6-3, 6-1
No. 6: Riley McClain, Vestavia Hills d. Jiyeon Park, Auburn, 6-3, 6-4
Tuesday’s Doubles Semifinal Pairings
No. 1: Gabby Berrera/Mae Mae Voltz, Montgomery Academy d. Mazie MacGrotty/Abby Brown, Huntsville, 6-1, 6-1
No. 2: Caroline Helms/Wynn Strubel, Vestavia Hills d. Victoria Choo/Sophie Smith, Auburn, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6
No. 3: Shreya Ejantkar/Naomi Hanks, Auburn d. Sophie Shearburn/Emie Little, Huntsville, 6-1, 2-6, 10-6.
Cover Photo: Vestavia Hills junior Kenley Outzen returns a shot in the No. 2 singles finals
(AHSAA PHOTO | David Holtsford)
