RADFORD
The Wilson girls tennis team’s celebration after winning the state championship was short and sweet.

RADFORD — Things were looking sharp for Wilson Memorial on Saturday against Gate City, as each WMHS girl won the first set of her singles tennis match.

The door to the Group A tennis championship had a formidable “gate” to get through for Wilson Memorial on Saturday.

As he made the trip from Radford to Harrisonburg on Interstate 81, Wilson Memorial High School girls tennis coach Seth Lovell had an interesting phone conversation with WMHS principal Doug Shiflett.

It was a day they had waited for a long time — 29 years to be exact.

Hurry up and wait seemed to be the theme during Friday’s Group A team semifinals.

BLACKSBURG — Wilson today will make its first appearance since 1980 in a Group A team tennis championship match.

The Wilson Memorial girls tennis team defeated Middlesex 5-0 on Friday at the Group A team semifinals in Blacksburg.

RADFORD – It was a busy day for Jessica Miller.

Tim Morris will take over the Riverheads girls basketball program for the 2009-2010 season.

There doesn’t seem to be much different about Jessica Miller.

When the four seniors on the Wilson tennis team watched former Hornet Maryanne Thompson play in the Group A individual tournament four years ago, they set a goal for themselves — by their senior year they too would prove themselves at that level.

FISHERSVILLE — Wilson finally did it.

Stuarts Draft’s Jessica Miller won the girls Region III individual championship on Tuesday, defeating R.E. Lee’s Rachel Obenschain 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. Miller also defeated Harrisonburg’s Jenny Stevens in the semifinal round 6-3, 6

The George Mason boys and girls doubles teams defeated Wilson Memorial on Tuesday in the Region B finals.

FISHERSVILLE — There was just one difference that stood out in the Region B tennis match between Wilson Memorial and George Mason Saturday —  the location.

Harrisonburg conquered Fort Defiance 5-2 in the quarterfinal round of the Region III girls tennis tournament Monday.

In Fort Defiance, the Fort Defiance girls tennis team narrowly escaped Waynesboro 5-4 on Monday afternoon in the first day of the Southern Valley District tennis team tournament.

The Wilson Memorial tennis team defeated Riverheads on Thursday, clinching a third-straight Shenandoah District championship. Wilson is now 11-1 on the season and 5-0 in the district. Wilson plays at home on Monday against Buffalo Gap to finish out the season.

In Stuarts Draft, Jessica Miller got things started for the Cougars with a 10-0 win at No. 1 and the rest of the Cougars followed suit as they beat the Wildcats.

Stuarts Draft’s Jessica Miller got it started with a 10-0 win at the No. 1 slot and the rest of the Cougars followed.

The Waynesboro tennis team won its fourth match of the season, shutting out Stuarts Draft.

The Waynesboro girls tennis team fell to Fort Defiance in a close match on Friday night.

In Swoope, the Green Hornets girls tennis team won its first Shenandoah Distirct match, improving to 7-1 on the year, over Buffalo Gap.
Christine Coffield started the wininng trend for Wilson and the rest of the ladder never let down, sweeping though the Bison lineup. The Hornets host Stonewall Jackson today.

In Waynesboro, Wilson Memorial swept Waynesboro 9-0 on Wednesday in non-district tennis action. Taylor DeWitt almost defeated Wilson’s Amanda Gorby, but fell 9-8. Wilson’s Hannah Shields and Katie Hock each blanked their opponents in singles then paired up to shut out Callie Owens and Sarah Merriken in doubles.

In Swoope, Buffalo Gap opened up its Shenandoah District schedule with a win 6-3 over Riverheads. Despite the final score, Riverheads kept things interesting, almost scoring wins in two single events and one doubles.

In Stuarts Draft, Fort Defiance only allowed Stuarts Draft to win five total games in singles, sweeping the Cougars 9-0. The Cougars’ Zachary Akers came the closest to toppling Fort Defiance’s Jordan Montgomery, falling 10-5 in the adverse weather on Wednesday.

In Fishersville, the Waynesboro boys tennis team narrowly escaped Wilson Memorial 6-3 in non-district action after several close matches. Waynesboro won four singles and two of the three doubles matches.

Last season Fort Defiance ran away with the Southern Valley District, led by a core group of five seniors. Today, those seniors are gone, but the machine that is the Indians’ girls tennis program keeps chugging along.

The R.E. Lee boys tennis team split the singles with visiting Broadway, then took two of three in doubles to secure a 5-4 win in its eighth match of the season.