COLLEGE STATION—Landry Laywell was the lone returnee in the Class 2A girls singles field and her experience and determination served her well.
Laywell became the first Thorndale girls player to capture a state championship in tennis and the first Bulldog athlete to harvest gold since the doubles team of Justin Schwartz and Jared Melde in 2001. Lance Betak won the only other Thorndale singles title in 1992.
The junior blitzed through the opposition with hardly a scratch with 6-0, 6-0; 6-1, 6-4; and 6-0, 6-3 victories.
The difference between last year and this year for Laywell? Good old fashioned hard work.
“I worked really hard and put a lot more time out on the court and played a lot of good people,” Lay-well said. “I always go out focused and play to win.”
Laywell disposed of Grace Chapman of tennis Mecca Mason 6-0, 6-3 in the finale. It was payback of sorts, she fell to Mason’s Ryli Ruffin in the 2017 championship, 6-3, 6-0.
She whipped Kea Sandoval of Olton 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals and Katelyn Jackson of Joaquin 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round with little resistance.
“My ground strokes were really consistent,” Laywell said.
Laywell had plenty of support. Thorndale baseball coach Kelly Kuhl bussed his team over to the Mitchell Center for the 8 a.m. match before they headed to Huntsville for a playoff game.
The bulldoggish Laywell can best be described as a grinder—not flashy, but possessing a fundamental control of the court. Like tennis great Chris Evert, she waits for her opponents to make mistakes and takes advantage of their miscues.
“She stays focused and takes one point at a time,” said long-time Thorn-dale tennis coach Lisa Von Gonten. “She finds opponents weaknesses.”
“She was very determined to win the championship this year,” Von Gonten said. “She has worked very hard to improve over the year, playing in tournaments all over Texas.”
Laywell took both the district and regional championships and in 2017 was the first Thorn-dale tennis player to qualify for state since 2008 when Kayla Caffey made the trip.
There’s no rest for the weary.
“I’m going to enjoy it for a while and get back to work.”
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