SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Carl Junction’s doubles team of Naiyah Wurdeman and Jenna Besperat and Thomas Jefferson singles player Allison Ding kept their respective seasons alive with their performances on the opening day of the MSHSAA Class 2 Girls Tennis Championships on Thursday at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
In doubles, Carl Junction’s duo of Wurdeman and Besperat went 2-0 and advanced to Friday’s semifinals.
In the opening round, the Bulldogs defeated the St. Pius X duo of Chloe Kronlage and Brooke Madden 6-0, 6-0.
In the quarterfinal round, Wurdeman and Besperat topped Grain Valley’s Brooklyn Spencer and Emma Thiessen 4-6, 6-2, 10-7.
The Bulldogs will meet Parkway North’s Yvonne Shannon-Emily Koo in the semifinals. The other semifinal features Springfield Catholic’s Hannah Lee-Britney Ung vs. Villa Duchesne’s Alexandra Todorovich-Katherine Todorovich.
In singles, Ding went 2-1.
Ding defeated Holt’s Jennifer Nelson 6-0, 6-1 in the opening round.
In the quarterfinal round, MICDS’ Rachel Li topped Ding 6-0, 6-0.
In the consolation quarterfinals, Ding edged St. Pius X’s Kiera Dunn 6-1, 4-6, 11-9.
Ding will meet Springfield Catholic’s Caroline Nelson on Friday in the consolation semifinals.
