Seconds after the game-winning point was secured, and after a couple of celebratory screams, Astrid Cardenas and Emma Watts shared a long embrace on the court.
For the pair of Joplin Eagles, it was a moment worth celebrating.
Joplin’s Cardenas and Watts repeated as Central Ozark Conference champions at No. 1 doubles on Wednesday at the JHS courts.
“It feels awesome to repeat,” Cardenas said. “This is my last year and it’s been so much fun. And I’m really proud of us. We’ve been playing really well. We keep each other lifted all the time. We always stay positive on the court.”
Cardenas, a senior, and Watts, a junior, went 3-0 on the day to capture a second straight COC crown in the top doubles bracket.
The JHS tandem not only repeated as conference champs, but also remained undefeated this fall.
Cardenas and Watts are now 23-0 in doubles matches.
“We feel great and I’m glad we got to do it together,” Watts said. “We came back really strong this year, especially after I came back from my back injury. Our goal now is to medal at state.”
Cardenas and Watts defeated Webb City’s Shelby Ensminger and Brynlee Hollingsworth 8-0 in the quarterfinals and then defeated Nixa’s Arabella Cosgrove and Abigail Fulnecky 8-1 in the semifinals.
In the bracket’s championship match, the Eagles defeated Republic’s Abigail McCord and Morgan Lewis 8-3.
“We’re really happy for them to be conference champions again and we’re just really proud of them,” Joplin coach Jeff Williams said. “They’re healthy right now, they work really well together, they’ve gotten better and I know they’re looking forward to the postseason.”
“We had a good showing from Astrid and Emma today,” JHS assistant coach Richard Perry said. “They had some rematches today, which can be really tough when you won previously because there is the expectation for you to win again. We saw that today with our other girls who had a tough day, losing to previous opponents that they beat. Astrid and Emma were able to overcome that pressure, as they have all year, to take away another gold medal for their collections. They out-performed their previous matches by winning by even bigger margins than they did the first time. They are on a hot streak and can go into districts on Friday feeling really good. Our goal now is to take all of the experience they’ve gained this year and to be able to handle any situation their opponents could throw their way.”
In the third-place match of the No. 1 doubles bracket, Nixa’s Cosgrove and Fulnecky edged Carthage’s Kianna Yates and Daniela Marquez 8-6.
For fifth-place, Carl Junction’s duo of Jenna Besperat and Nicole Sherwood beat Branson’s Chase Carlin and Sylvie Barbour 6-1.
Webb City’s Ensmiger and Hollingsworth went 2-2, beating Ozark and Neosho and falling to Joplin and Carl Junction.
Neosho’s Jasmine Martinez and Alexandra Olsbo went 0-2, with losses to Willard and Webb City.
No. 2 DOUBLES
Carl Junction’s Naiyah Wurdeman and Emmy Higgins took third place at No. 2 doubles, beating Ozark’s Margaret Kensinger and Madison Morgan 9-7.
In the fifth-place match, Joplin’s Cloey Blank and Brynn Driver defeated Branson’s Brooklyn Buxton and Avery Webber 6-0.
Webb City’s Ally Ansley and Walker Hoffman went 2-2, beating Carthage and Neosho and falling to Republic and Joplin.
Carthage’s Anayansi Lopez and Beverly Garcia and Neosho’s Georgia Housh and Keely Keeton went 0-2.
Republic defeated Willard 8-1 in the bracket’s title match.
No. 1 SINGLES
Webb City’s Kirsalyn Hood was the top local finisher at No. 1 singles. Hood won the fifth-place match by beating Ozark’s Hannah Metcalf 6-4.
Hood lost to Branson’s Andrea Fuentes 8-4 in the quarterfinals and earned wins over Carthage’s Katie Barton and Joplin’s Abry Stayton, both by scores of 6-4.
Joplin’s Stayton suffered a pair of close losses. Willard’s Alice Go edged Stayton 8-6 in the quarterfinals before Webb City’s Hood got past Stayton 6-4.
Carl Junction’s Valeria Alamina-Poor went 2-2, while Carthage’s Barton and Neosho’s Sydnee Minton both went 0-2.
Republic’s Elsie Crawford defeated Willard’s Go 8-1 in the championship match, while Branson’s Fuentes beat Nixa’s Ellie Sorgenfrei 8-3 for third place.
No. 2 SINGLES
Webb City’s Kinzlea Smith defeated Carl Junction’s Alyssa Graves 6-2 in the fifth-place match at No. 2 singles.
Joplin’s Mya Ndedi-Ntepe, Neosho’s Lauren Nageotte and Carthage’s Lynnd Guerra all went 0-2.
Republic’s Jasmine Howard won the No. 2 singles bracket by beating Branson’s Madelyn Volz 8-3.
For third, Nixa’s Samantha Fulnecky defeated Willard’s Gracie Chunn 8-4.
NOTE: Republic won the COC team championship by going 9-0 in conference duals during the regular season.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Local squads will compete at individual district tournaments on Friday.
