Creek girls take state tennis title

Bruins finish at top for six years in a row

BY JIM BENTON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

Cherry Creek won another state girls tennis championship on May 16 but this one was a little di erent for a couple reasons.

First, the girls state team title was determined by a dual style format and the Bruins defeated Fairview 5-2 to claim their 39th girls tennis state title and sixth in a row.

e individual state championships were held May 12-13 and Creek won four of the seven crowns that were up for grabs.

Second, this title was somewhat unique because the nal two match- es had to be moved from City Park to the Denver Tennis Center before the team title could be decided.

Cherry Creek was leading 3-2 when a heavy rainstorm ooded the City Park courts and forced the Colorado High School Actitivies Associaiton to relocate the decisive nal two matches.

Creek’s No 2 singles player Anika Sharma and No. 3 singles athlete Jisele Boker had split sets and were in the third when the rain halted play with Creek needing one more victory to wrap up the team title.

After over an hour delay, Anika Sharma and Boker resumed play and quickly ended any suspense.

Anika Sharma defeated Stella Laird 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 and Boker got past Fairview’s Elle Middleton 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

“It was a perfect way to end a season that had such interesting weather with the rain and rainouts,” said Creek coach Chris Jacob. “I’m not surprised. I’m so proud of how tough my girls are. ey didn’t get rattled.

“We scrimmaged Fairview early in March and it was womderful to see all the girls at all of those positions improve from that rst scrimmage to this match. We knew that it would be a tough match and we had a good practice to get ready. It was nice to be able to have something to work towards and improve on.”

Boker, a junior who defeated Middleton 6-4, 6-0 to win her third individual state title, kept pounding her leg with her racket during the rst set after a bad shot but she came back to win going away.

“My leg is a little sore but I don’t feel it when I play,” she said. “I don’t know if I played my best but I tried