SportShorts for Thursday, June 30, 2022

KSB Tennis Classic being played in Dixon

The annual KSB Tennis Classic started play Monday, with three divisions taking to the Emma Hubbs Tennis Courts in Dixon.

Braden Brigl and Meerna Elbzour took the title in the 12 & under mixed doubles division, winning 14 games to top Joshua Stees and Sofia Georgieva (6 games won) and Dayton Williams and Jenna Mustapha (4 games won).

In the 14 & under girls doubles division, Grace King and Sofia Georgieva defeated Meerna Elbzour and Jenna Mustapha 8-4.

The 16 & under boys doubles division featured the tightest race of the day, as Ryan Partington and Logan Palmer won 18 games to edge out Bashar Elbzour and Kaiser Khawaja (17 games won) by one game. Adam Kasperski and Jackson Sellet won nine games, and Joel Rhodes and Hiram Zigler won four games.

Three more divisions hit the Emma Hubbs Tennis Courts on Day 2 of the KSB Classic on Tuesday.

Cameron Foulker and Brooklyn Arjes teamed up to win 24 games and take the 14 & under mixed doubles title. Joel Rhodes and Taylor Crownhart were second with 18 games won, followed by Gavin Staats and Jenna Mustapha (16 games won), Braden Brigl and Meerna Elbzour (12 games won), and Joshua Stees and Sofia Georgieva (10 games won).

The 16 & under girls bracket came down to the wire, with Julia Rhodes and Emily Beattie winning 26 games to take the title. Leah Stees and Meerna Elbzour won a super-tiebreaker to take second over Elena Leone and Kylee Halm, after both duos won 25 games. Grace Pecchio and Raleigh Leininger finished fourth (21 games won), followed by Maria Ardis and Taylor Crownhart (12 games won), and Jenna Mustapha and Laurel Chavera (11 games won).

Brecken and Dylan Peterson pulled away to win the 18 & under boys doubles crown, winning 43 games in six matches. Bashar Elbzour and Kaiser Khawaja won 34 games to place second, with Logan Palmer and Koda Brininger winning 25 games to take third. Owen Winters and Damien Beck finished fourth (23 games won), followed by Thomas Powers and Kaden Welty (16 games won), Joel Rhodes and Hiram Zigler (14 games won), and Sam Neisewander and Raul Reyes (13 games won).

On Day 3 at the tournament on Wednesday, competition started with the 12 & under boys doubles division. Braden Brigl and Cameron Foulker won 13 games to take the top spot, while Charlie Reed and Carter French won 11 games to place second. Joshua Stees and Rory King took third (8 games won), Jason Hemmen and Kenan Tefiku finished fourth (7 games won), and Dayton Williams and Miles Grot were fifth (1 game won).

Kaiser Khawaja and Grace Ferguson teamed up to win the 16 & under mixed doubles crown, winning 19 games. Ryan Partington and Leah Stees won 15 games, Owen Winters and Ellie Aitken won 14 games, and Ian Shevlin and Alexandra Serratos also competed.

Leah Kuehl and Grace Ferguson took the 18 & under girls doubles title, wining 31 games to edge out Ava Lannen and Emy Hachenburger (29 games won). Rachel Lance and Brooklyn Arjes took third (21 games won) in a tight race against Julia Rhodes and Marisel Schalck (20 games won). Leah Stees and Addison Arjes finished fifth (13 games won), and Arielle Rockwood and Nour Alsramah placed sixth (6 games won).

Local tennis team wins district tournament

Last weekend, the Westwood Tennis Center 18 & under travel team won the Northern Illinois District playoff at Five Star Tennis Academy in Plainfield, to advance to the Midwest Junior Team Tennis Championship in South Bend, Ind., at the end of July.

Brecken Peterson and Ellie Aitken of Sterling, Lucas Healy and Addison Arjes of Dixon, Mark Cyphers of Morrison, Isabella Kowalak of Hampshire, and Andrew Bollis and Carlie Miller of LaSalle-Peru teamed up through the Sterling Park District and Westwood to earn a berth at the July 29-31 tournament in South Bend. Jake Lipka and AJ Segneri are the team’s coaches.

The Westwood team competed against squads from Rockford, Aurora and Lockport last weekend, and will next face teams from around the Midwest, with the winning team earning the chance to compete in the national championships in Orlando in August.

Thunder’s Collins to play at Sauk

West Carroll center Cora Collins will continue her athletic and academic career at Sauk Valley Community College next year.

Collins averaged 5.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game last winter for the Thunder, and averaged 2.0 blocks per game as a junior in 2021. She blocked 232 shots over the last two seasons, and is adept at playing with her back to the basket down low as well as shooting from the perimeter.

Forreston to host 3-on-3 basketball tournament

Registration is now open for the Drew Crase Memorial 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, to be held Saturday, Aug. 6 on the courts outside of Forreston High School.

Four youth divisions (5th-6th grade, 7th-8th grade, 9th-10th grade and 11th-12th grade) will host eight teams each, while there will also be men’s open and women’s open divisions, as well as age 35-and-over men’s and women’s divisions. The adult divisions are open to as many teams as register.

There will also be a 3-point shootout, with winners from each division receiving Mimmo’s Pizza gift cards and trophies. Visit https://www.drewcrasememorial3on3.net/ for more information.