State tennis: Pullman sophomore Rhoda Wang wins second consecutive singles title; Greyhounds team champs

Pullman sophomore Rhoda Wang won her second consecutive State 2A tennis singles title and led the Greyhounds to the team championship at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle on Saturday.

It’s the first team state title in Pullman tennis history.

“Proud of our girls,” Pullman girls coach Dan Vollmer said. “Every one of our girls medaled to help take the state plate.”

Wang beat Taraneh Khalighi of Sammamish 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. She ousted Sequim’s Kendall Hastings 2-0 in a semifinal to advance.

Pullman’s Gwyn Heim finished fifth, defeating Foss’ Luis Diebold 2-0. Heim downed Madelyn Hetland of Mark Morris in straight sets to advance.

Pullman’s Kei Bromley and Carlotta Wolf beat Addison Mills and Kacie Shannon of Ephrata 2-0 in the fifth-place match. The pair knocked off Sammamish’s Mia Gossage and Laura Chianglin 2-0 in an elimination match to advance.

The Pullman boys finished third, the second consecutive year the Greyhounds placed in the top three in scoring for both boys and girls.

Pullman’s Vijay Lin defeated Reef Gelder of Port Angeles in 6-3, 6-0 in the state third-place match. Lin fell to eventual champion Zach Chai of Sehome 6-3, 6-4 in a semifinal.

In doubles, Kieran Hampson and Kolby Uhlenkott topped Javyn Han and Bryce Keykendall of W.F. West in straight sets to win the state fifth-place match. In their first match, the duo eliminated Jayden Lovingfoss and Wyatt Wagner of Shelton to advance.

“A worthy conclusion to a glorious season,” Pullman boys coach Cody Wendt said.

This was the second consecutive year that Pullman had state-medal finishes in all four brackets.

4A: Gonzaga Prep’s Juliet McFarland lost to Redmond’s Grace Tan 2-0 in the state fifth-place match. McFarland beat Yvonne Kim of Camas in an elimination match to advance to the medal round.

In doubles, G-Prep’s Carly Walton and Kate Palelek topped Chiawana’s Gracie Bolson and Angelina Reisch 2-0 in the fifth-place match. They advanced with a 2-1 win over Kiersten Sacksteder and Hailey Kim of Puyallup.

1A: Lakeside’s Gabby Rodriguez and Avery Haff were eliminated in the third-place bracket by Paityn Richter and Finley Sackman of Omak 2-1.

2B/1B: In an all-Chewelah final, Avi Sahota defeated Simi Sahota 6-2, 6-3 in the state title match and led the Cougars to the team title.

Boys tennis

4A: Lewis and Clark’s Tate Thatcher fell to Aiden Brasier of Camas 2-0 in the state third-place match to finish sixth. Thatcher lost to state runner-up Vasanth Ramachandran of Bellarmine Prep 2-0 in a semifinal in his first match.

1A/2B/1B: Pablo Iza of Riverside lost to Herky Briggs of Life Christian Academy in the fourth-place match and finished seventh. Kyle Dillingham of Lakeside fell in the fifth-place match to Rylen Moody of Chelan to finish eighth.

Pelayo Zalba-Montes and Gabin Joly of St. George’s were swept by Vashon Island’s Ethan Hawkins and Charles Walker in the third-place match and placed sixth.