Post by CrimsonPhantom on May 11, 2012 7:20:00 GMT -7
Champions’ roots run deep at Mayfield High School
By Craig Massey
Las Cruces Bulletin
It’s back to the future for the Mayfield High School girls tennis team.
The squad had a look reminiscent of the past and also gave a glimpse of the future when it captured the Class 5-A state championship May 4-5, at Albuquerque.
It’s Mayfield’s first girls team tennis title in 21 years (the MHS boys won it all in 2010), and with the team made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores, more championships could be on the way.
Mayfield’s girls entered the state championships as the No. 2 seed, while the Mayfield boys were No. 1. The Trojan boys finished third.
“This group of boys and girls set their sights on state at the beginning of the year,” said MHS coach Judy Harlas. “They practiced hard and ran hard. They showed up early in the morning and many of them practiced twice a day.”
The Mayfield boys and girls came into the tournament as district champions. The Las Cruces High girls and the Oñate boys finished second in district.
At the state tournament, Mayfield’s girls beat Albuquerque High, 6-3, La Cueva, 5-4, and then Eldorado, 5-4, in the finals.
Sophomore Brooke Coffeen and freshman Lindsay Harlas joined forces to win the state doubles title.
“For Brooke and I, there was never any doubt in our minds that we would be there at the end,” said Lindsay Harlas, the coach’s daughter. “We worked super hard.We wouldn’t leave practice if it was less than perfect.”
Lindsay said her playing style is a perfect fit with Brooke’s.
“We have such different games,” Lindsay said. “Brooke is awesome at the net, and I’m good at the baseline. She’s more consistent, and I go after it more. We both set each other up well, and we imagine every strategy. We’ve worked very hard at our physical and mental game.”
The rest of the girls team includes freshmen Kelli Duran, Molly Olson and Jordan Gass; sophomores Ellie Williamson, Victoria Smith and Rebeca Boyd; and senior Laura Carbajal. On the boys side, Mayfield’s Jeremy Harlas (Lindsay’s brother) took third in singles at state, and Wesley Seaton and Ryan Maki took third in doubles.
Judy Harlas was a standout for Mayfield in the early 1980s, and the last time the Mayfield girls won state, Harlas’ sister, Chrissy Ross, was on the team along with Becca Galves and Tom Easterling.
Judy Harlas’ niece, Chloe Lee of Albuquerque High, won the singles title this year.
“This was just a group of kids that worked hard to get better,” Harlas said. “I would try to leave at the end of practice and they would want to hit more balls. Everything fell into place. It’s been pretty awesome.”
From- www.lascrucesbulletin.com/ee/lascrucesbulletin/default.php?pSetup=lascrucesbulletin
By Craig Massey
Las Cruces Bulletin
It’s back to the future for the Mayfield High School girls tennis team.
The squad had a look reminiscent of the past and also gave a glimpse of the future when it captured the Class 5-A state championship May 4-5, at Albuquerque.
It’s Mayfield’s first girls team tennis title in 21 years (the MHS boys won it all in 2010), and with the team made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores, more championships could be on the way.
Mayfield’s girls entered the state championships as the No. 2 seed, while the Mayfield boys were No. 1. The Trojan boys finished third.
“This group of boys and girls set their sights on state at the beginning of the year,” said MHS coach Judy Harlas. “They practiced hard and ran hard. They showed up early in the morning and many of them practiced twice a day.”
The Mayfield boys and girls came into the tournament as district champions. The Las Cruces High girls and the Oñate boys finished second in district.
At the state tournament, Mayfield’s girls beat Albuquerque High, 6-3, La Cueva, 5-4, and then Eldorado, 5-4, in the finals.
Sophomore Brooke Coffeen and freshman Lindsay Harlas joined forces to win the state doubles title.
“For Brooke and I, there was never any doubt in our minds that we would be there at the end,” said Lindsay Harlas, the coach’s daughter. “We worked super hard.We wouldn’t leave practice if it was less than perfect.”
Lindsay said her playing style is a perfect fit with Brooke’s.
“We have such different games,” Lindsay said. “Brooke is awesome at the net, and I’m good at the baseline. She’s more consistent, and I go after it more. We both set each other up well, and we imagine every strategy. We’ve worked very hard at our physical and mental game.”
The rest of the girls team includes freshmen Kelli Duran, Molly Olson and Jordan Gass; sophomores Ellie Williamson, Victoria Smith and Rebeca Boyd; and senior Laura Carbajal. On the boys side, Mayfield’s Jeremy Harlas (Lindsay’s brother) took third in singles at state, and Wesley Seaton and Ryan Maki took third in doubles.
Judy Harlas was a standout for Mayfield in the early 1980s, and the last time the Mayfield girls won state, Harlas’ sister, Chrissy Ross, was on the team along with Becca Galves and Tom Easterling.
Judy Harlas’ niece, Chloe Lee of Albuquerque High, won the singles title this year.
“This was just a group of kids that worked hard to get better,” Harlas said. “I would try to leave at the end of practice and they would want to hit more balls. Everything fell into place. It’s been pretty awesome.”
From- www.lascrucesbulletin.com/ee/lascrucesbulletin/default.php?pSetup=lascrucesbulletin