SIDELINES: TENNIS

St. Ursula's Shaffer third at state

St. Ursula freshman Kennedy Shaffer finished third at state. Her only loss was in the Division I semifinals.

St. Ursula freshman Kennedy Shaffer (23-1) reached the Division I state tennis semifinals before losing for the first time.

Shaffer won two matches at state after winning a district title. But she lost 6-3, 6-3 to Mehvish Safdar of Cincinnati Ursuline, who went on to win the championship.

Kennedy won the third-place match and earned All-Ohio first-team honors.

Central Catholic senior Sydney Delp also qualified for the D-I state singles, but lost her opening-round match. Delp had qualified for the state doubles the previous three years.

In Division I doubles, Perrysburg seniors Cammy Messenger and Carmen Alkire also reached the state tournament after winning a district crown. Two sisters from Notre Dame, junior Kerigan McNamara and freshman Teagan McNamara, qualified for state. Both teams lost in the first round.

In Division II singles, Ottawa Hills senior Drew Fillis made her fourth trip to the state tournament after winning the district crown.

Fillis won her opening round match 6-2, 6-4 against Ariana Iranpour of Shaker Heights Hathaway. She had lost opening-round matches in her previous three trips, but made it to the second round this year where she fell 6-3, 7-6 to My Linh Li of Columbus St. Francis de Sales.

Also reaching state for the third time in D-II singles was Oak Harbor senior Ashley LaFountain.

In D-II doubles, Ottawa Hills senior Nancy Rumpf and junior Shivani Bhatt won the district and then reached the state semifinals. They finished fourth to earn All-Ohio first-team honors.