RAWLINS  – The Torrington High School tennis team competed against Rawlins on the road on Saturday, August 24. 

The team played Cheyenne and Sheridan in a triangular on Tuesday. Results were not available at press time.

Boys results

The boys kicked off the event on Saturday and walked away with a team win, 4-1.

Senior Elijah Hatch played No. 2 singles and won both his sets, 6-1 and 6-3.

“It was good to see Elijah serving well and taking some risks in this match,” Shields said. “When he gets a high forehand approach shot, he usually goes all in to hit a winner and I love watching that. It has been nice to hear him identify some things he would like to and needs to work on to improve his game. He is doing a good job reflecting on his play.”

Fellow senior Skyler Thomas played No. 1 singles and fell, 6-2 and 6-4.

“Skyler played well,” Shields said. “He struggled against his opponent who played somewhat unconventionally with quite a bit of slice throughout the match. Skyler did have some pretty amazing athletic plays to earn some points, though and had some amazing returns (in the second set) that really stymied his opponent.”

The No. 1 doubles team, consisting of sophomores Benaiah Steinbrecher and Braxton Carlson, defeated Rawlins in two sets, 6-2 and 6-4.

“This team had some really fun points to watch,” Shields said. “These two are really doing well getting to the net and playing out some exciting points. These two are only sophomores, but they put in a bunch of time to improve their games, so I’m excited to see what the next two years bring.”

The No. 2 doubles team of seniors Gabe Posten and Marcus Jones soundly won both sets, 6-2 and 6-0.

“Gabe and Marcus played well in this match,” Shields added. “They were getting to the net and they served better than their last matches. These boys have moments of absolute brilliance that are so much fun to watch when they are clicking. They seemed to communicate better and felt more comfortable playing together.”

Rounding out boys’ doubles, junior Silas Kiiskinen and sophomore Maxton Matthews triumphed against their Rawlins opponents, 6-1 and 6-4.

“These two keep playing better together each time they step on the court,” Shields noted. “They are communicating better and anticipating what the other is going to do. Serving and volleying are some things they need to improve on, but at practice they work hard, so. Isee those things coming along quickly.”

Girls results

The girls took to the court following the boys’ matches.

The No. 3 doubles pair of sophomores Keelin Connelly and Inez Chavez defeated their Rawlins opponents in two sets, 6-2 and 7-6.

“These girls played together a lot this summer at open courts,” Shields said. “They had fun playing together on Saturday and played the net well and moved well together. Both worked hard to get to the net, which is ideal in doubles. They did some great things by hitting where the other team wasn’t.”

The No. 1 doubles team, including juniors Laney Grubbs and Haley DeFoe, fell 6-4 in both sets.

“Laney and Haley really have not played much together, so they were navigating that while playing Rawlins on Saturday,” Shields added. “They covered the court well. I really enjoy these girls because even when things are difficult and get them down, they smile and find ways to have fun.”

Juniors Addison Hansen and Sawyer Massie played No. 2 doubles and came up short in two sets, 6-3 and 6-0, while winning one set, 6-4.

“These girls had fun playing together,” Shields remarked. “They communicated better and worked together better in the second set to come out on top in that one. These girls have lots of potential.”

In girls’ singles, junior Natalie Lira played the first match, falling in both sets, 6-0.

“Natalie was excited about the opportunity to play singles,” Shields said. “She knew it would be a challenge, but she was up for it. She really did some good things playing on Saturday and did a fantastic job of getting to the net.”

Sophomore Madison Hatch played No. 2 singles and came up short, 6-3 and 6-0.

“I know Madison was pretty frustrated in this match because she did some really great things, but the Rawlins player had an answer to all of it,” Shields added. “Madison was doing well hitting shots and getting to the net. To watch Madison grow and continue to improve her game is a pleasure.”