SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For the third straight season, Emma Watts is a conference champion.
A senior at Joplin High School, Watts won the No. 1 singles bracket at the Central Ozark Conference Tournament on Wednesday at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
Watts won conference titles in doubles with Astrid Cardenas as a junior and as a sophomore.
On Wednesday, Watts went 3-0 at No. 1 singles.
Watts defeated Republic 8-2, Nixa 8-1 and Ozark 8-3. Watts is now 19-6 in singles matches.
At No. 2 singles, Joplin’s Brynn Driver went 0-2, suffering a 9-7 loss to Willard and dropping a 6-1 decision to Ozark.
Joplin’s No. 1 doubles team of Mya Ndedi Ntepe and Jensen Vowels went 1-2.
The Eagles suffered an 8-6 loss to Willard, defeated Neosho’s Keely Keeton-Emma VanDorn 6-0 and then lost to Ozark 6-3 in the consolation finals.
Joplin’s No. 2 doubles team of Alex Carson and Bonnie Smith also lost in the consolation finals.
The Eagles defeated Neosho’s Abigail Coutu-Mia Robbins 6-1 and then lost to Republic 6-1. Carson-Smith earned wins over Carthage (6-2) and Webb City (6-0) before falling 6-2 to Carl Junction.
NEOSHO RESULTS
Neosho’s Claudia Martensen went 1-2 at No. 1 singles.
Martensen defeated Willard’s Ana Chunn 7-5. Branson’s Andrea Fuentes defeated Martensen 8-1 and Carthage’s Katie Barton beat Martensen 6-3.
At No. 2 singles, Lyndsey Doke went 0-2. Ozark’s Shaeley Combs defeated Doke 6-2 and Republic’s Woodward topped Doke 6-1.
At No. 1 doubles, Keeton and VanDorn went 1-2.
They lost to Ozark’s Jadyn Dalton-Makenna Whitfield 6-2, defeated Republic’s Matilyn Carpenter-Lilly Carlo 6-4 and then lost to Joplin’s Vowels-Ndedi Ntepe 6-0.
Coutu-Robbins went 0-2 at No. 2 doubles. The Wildcats lost 6-1 to Joplin’s Smith-Carson and then fell 6-1 to Willard’s Jacey Wilson-Katelyn Long.
NOTE: Full results of the COC Tournament were unavailable at the time of publication. Nixa was this year’s COC team champion. District tournaments await local tennis players.
