Long before A&M Consolidated tennis coach Stephen Mercer finished calculating team scores late Saturday, he considered one of the biggest high school tournaments in the state to be a success for his Tigers and the crosstown rival Bryan Vikings.
Consol finished sixth in the top Maroon Division with 167 points. Klein won the crown with 244 points, followed by The Woodlands with 214 and Southlake Carroll at 210.
The Vikings played in the White Division except for AshLee Bilbo and Madison Franze, who moved up to the Maroon bracket and finished 12th in girls doubles. Bryan scored 207 points for third place behind Klein Oak with 231 and Fossil Ridge with 218.
The top finishers from local entries came from the Consol girls. Nellie Hillner and Kristina Raphael captured fourth in doubles, while Lady Tiger Victoria Liere took sixth in singles.
In a field loaded with some of the strongest programs in Texas, both local teams should have gotten good preparation for the District 12-5A and Class 5A Region II tournaments next month.
"It was a very strong field," Mercer said. "When you've got Klein and College Park and The Woodlands from the Houston area, and throw in San Antonio Churchill, Southlake Carroll and Grapevine, we had a lot of good teams.
"It made for a very strong Maroon draw. I think it was good for Bryan as well, because it gave them tough competition in the White draw. I think we both got some really good things out of it."
Raphael and Hillner won their first three matches in straight sets to reach the semifinal round on the championship side of the bracket, then dropped consecutive matches against sister teams from Klein Oak and Converse Judson to get fourth place.
"It was definitely a good tournament for them," Mercer said. "They had some key wins, and that's gotta give them some good confidence."
Liere opened the tourney with a couple of wins, then bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to defeat Melisa Train of Southlake Carroll 6-3, 6-1. Amanda Materre of Houston Westside beat Liere 7-5, 6-3 in the match for fifth place. Consol's Betsy Haberl also made the championship bracket, winning her last two matches to take 13th.
The other Consol entries who reached the championship draws included Frankie Colunga, who went 3-2 and took 11th in boys singles, and the mixed doubles team of Mason Cote and Mariah York, who posted a 3-2 mark for 15th place.
Finishes for the other Tigers were Erin Briers and Sarah Solcher, 18th in girls doubles; Jack Lestina and Miranda Barzilla, 19th in mixed doubles; Chris Walter and Edward Choi, 22nd in boys doubles; Joon Eoh, 26th in boys singles; and Dillon Anderson and Tyler Campbell, 31st in boys doubles.
"Sarah and Erin made consolation finals, so it was a good tournament for them," Mercer said. "That should carry them into district well. We did pretty well in mixed. Mason and Mariah came out 15th, which against this group is good."
Shaun Palmer and Madison Hoover produced the highest finish for Bryan in the White Division, taking sixth place in mixed doubles. Hoover and Palmer won three of five matches, bouncing back from a 7-5, 7-6 loss to Fossil Ridge in the quarterfinal round.
Bryan's other main draw participants were Jacob Atkins, who went 3-2 for seventh in boys singles; Eleazar Morales, who was 2-3 for eighth in boys singles; Shawn Grienert and Hunter Casarez, who were 2-2 for 10th in boys doubles; Luis Morales and Katy Lutz, who took 12th in mixed doubles; Vanessa Ponce, going 2-3 for 14th in girls singles; Helen Ask and Christine Ehresman, who were 2-2 to get 15th in girls doubles; and Kayla Siegert, 16th in girls singles.
Other finishes for the Vikings included Eduardo Cisneros and Hassan Mahmood, 25th in boys doubles.
Tiger Classic
Here are the local results from A&M Consolidated's Tiger Classic tennis tournament held Friday and Saturday:
Maroon Division
Boys Doubles
Hardeman/Atwell, Grapevine, def. Chris Walter/Edward Choi, Consol, 7-5, 5-7, 10-7; Walter/Choi def. Gardner/Vasquez, Southlake Carroll, 6-2, 5-7, 10-2; Burns/Chang, Round Rock Westwood, def. Walter/Choi, 6-4, 2-6, 10-7; Walter/Choi def. Mayne/Marsh. Klein, 6-3, 6-3; Salinas/Burger, Cy-Fair, def. Waltr/Choi, 6-3, 6-4. Linde/Crouse, Friendswood, def. Dillon Anderson/Tyler Campbell, Consol, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); Ladd /Feng, Round Rock Westwood, def. Anderson/Campbell, 7-6, 6-2; Hayes/Clos, College Park, def. Anderson/Campbell, 7-5; Anderson/Campbell, Consol, def. Hanna/Weaver, Jacksonville, 6-4, 6-3.
Girls Singles
Victoria Liere, Consol, def. Lindsey Watson, Friendswood, 6-1, 6-1;Liere def. Danielle Henkel, Schertz Clemens, 6-2, 7-5; Hannah Warren, The Woodlands, def. Liere, 2-6, 6-4, 10-3; Liere def. Melisa Tran, Southlake Carroll, 6-3, 6-1; Amanda Materre, Houston Westside, def. Liere, 7-5, 6-3. Betsy Haberl, Consol, def. Miranda Carlson, Round Rock Westwood, 6-0. 6-1; Anna Silkwood, Langham Creek, def. Haberl, 2-6, 6-4, 10-3; Haberl def. Katie Purdum, Friendswood, 6-4, 6-0; Haberl def. Margaret Santucci, Klein, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Girls Doubles
Nellie Hillner/Kristina Raphael, Consol, def. Heidt/White, Copperas Cove, 6-0, 6-1; Hillner/Raphael def. AshLee Bilbo/Madison Franze, Bryan, 6-1, 6-2; Hillner/Raphael def. Lash/Rutherford, Southlake Carroll, 6-2, 7-5; Burkhart/Burkhart, Klein Oak, def. Hillner/Raphael, 7-5, 6-1; Delgado/Delgado, Judson, def. Hillner/Raphael, 6-4, 7-6. AshLee Bilbo/Madison Franze, Bryan, def. Shull/Miller, San Antonio Churchill, 7-5, 2-6, 10-7; Rivas/Rivas, The Woodlands, def. Bilbo/Franze, 2-6, 6-1, 10-7. Lombardo/Gulibur, Southlake Carroll, def. Erin Briers/Sarah Solcher, Consol, 6-2, 6-4; Briers/Solcher def. Pacheko/Martinez, North Crowley, 6-2, 6-2; Briers/Solcher def. Kutschee/McKee, The Woodlands, 6-4, 6-4; Fisher/Cain, The Woodlands, def. Briers/Solcher, 6-3, 6-2.
Boys Singles
Frankie Colunga, Consol, def. Sam Marks, Montgomery, 6-0, 6-1; Casjen Rico, Grapevine, def. Colunga, 5-7, 6-0, 10-7; Colunga def. Chris Labra, Friendswood, 6-0, 6-0; Sujith Kochat, San Antonio Churchill, def. Colunga, 6-1, 6-3; Colunga def. Justin Cuellar, San Antonio Churchill, 6-2, 6-0. Justin Cuellar, San Antonio Churchill, def. Joon Eoh, Consol, 5-7, 6-1, 12-10; Clay Jones, Klein Collins, def. Eoh, 4-6, 6-4, 10-5; Eoh def. Conner Calloway, Friendswood, 6-3, 6-4; Patrick Nguyen, The Woodlands, def. Eoh, 6-0, 6-3.
Mixed Doubles
Mason Cote/Mariah York, Consol, def. Suryvanshi/Drapkin, Round Rock Westwood, 6-3, 6-2; Smith/Robson, College Park, def. Cote/York, 6-3, 6-1; Fife/Ibarra, The Woodlands, def. Cote/York, 7-6, 6-1; Flowers/Hellman, Grapevine, def. Cote/York, 6-2, 0-6, 10-4; Cote/York def. Hendrick/Hermsdorf, Klein, 6-4, 6-4. Almauguire/Young, def. San Antonio Churchille, def. Jack Lestina/Miranda Barzilla, Consol, 6-3, 5-7, 10-6; Lestina/Barzilla def. Ramos/Van Lare, Klein Collins, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7; Lestina/Barzilla def. Gelman/Pantuso, The Woodlands, 6-4, 6-0; Putlak/Bohannon, Grapevine, def. Lestina/Barzilla, 6-3, 6-3; Lestina/Barzilla def. Topp/Blanchette, San Antonio Johnson, 6-1, 2-6, 10-8.
White Division
Boys Doubles
Shawn Grienert/Hunter Casarez, Bryan, def. Day/Foskey, Copperas Cove, 6-3, 6-2; Bosquez/Golub def. Grienert/Casarez, 6-1, 6-1; Greinert/Casarez def. Nguyen/Thonrirong, 6-3, 3-6, 10-7; Cook/Wan def. Greinert/Casarez, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9. Collamore/Flores, Schertz Steele, def. Eduardo Cisneros/Hassan Mahmood, Bryan, 6-1, 6-2; Cisneros/ Mahmood def. Choi/Thompson, Consol; Cisneros/Mahmood def. Leamphan/Smith, Weatherford, 6-3, 6-2; Cisneros/Mahmood def. Day Foskey, Copperas Cove, 6-4, 6-1.
Mixed Doubles
Shaun Palmer/Madison Hoover, Bryan, def. Chen/Griffee, Schertz Steele, 6-2, 6-3; Palmer/Hoover def. Taylor/Cloud, Grapevine, 6-7, 6-3, 10-6; Tran/Smith, Fossil Ridge, def. Palmer/Hoover, 7-5, 7-6 (1); Palmer/Hoover def. Flores/Garcia, Tuloso Midway, 6-2, 6-4; Chenault/ Gellman, The Woodlands, def. Palmer/Hoover, 6-2, 7-5. Luis Morales/Katy Lutz, Bryan, def. Johnson/Thompson, Denton Ryan, 6-3, 6-3; Lahasky/Trivino, Klein Oak, def. Johnson/Thompson, 6-2, 6-1; Johnson/Thompson def. Abugarade/Swink, Schwertz Clemens, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8; Bond/Mathe, Richland Hills, def. Johnson/Thompson.
Girls Singles
Vanessa Ponce, Bryan, def. Tina Bonneau, Schertz Steele, 6-3, 2-6, 10-7; Mikala Leal, Northwest, def. Ponce, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 10-5; Ashley Polasek, Cy-Falls, def. Ponce, 6-2, 6-0; Ponce def. Coronilla, 6-3, 3-6, 10-4; Lien Ta def. Ponce, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4). Kayla Siegert, Bryan, def. Katie Esparza, Tuloso Midway, 6-1, 6-1; Tyler Rogers, Northwest, def. Siegert, 6-0, 6-2; Hali Martin, Klein Collins, def. Siegert, 6-0, 6-2; Bao Lien Ta, Fossil Ridge, def. Siegert, 6-4, 2-6, 10-3; Alysia Coronilla, Jacksonville, def. Siegert, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7.
Girls Doubles
Helen Ask/Christine Ehresman, Bryan, def. Watson/Gordon, Northwest, 6-3, 6-1; Smith/Michaels, Fossil Ridge, def. Ask/Ahresman, 6-4, 6-0; Gremminger/Ho, Weatherford, def. Ask/Ahresman, 6-4, 6-1; Ask/Ehresman def. Foxworth/Patel, Kilgore, 6-2, 6-1.
Boys Singles
Jacob Atkins, Bryan, def. Richard Ward, Tuloso Midway, 6-0, 6-2; Atkins def. Austin Campbell, Denton Ryan, 6-3, 6-2; Matt McBride, Klein Oak, def. Atkins, 6-1, 6-4; Austin Weigel, Klein Collins, def. Atkins, 6-1, 6-3; Atkins def. Eleazar Morales, Bryan, 6-4, 6-0. Eleazar Morales, Bryan, def. Alex Panneton, Schertz Steele, 6-2, 6-2; Morales def. Michael Barth, Klein Oak, 6-1, 6-2; Rutledge, Judson, def. Morales, 7-6, 6-1; Jarrett Henderson, Northwest, def. Morales, 6-3, 4-6, 13-11.