Reyna Gonzalez and Devon Whitsel look to win a second straight tennis state championship later this week in College Station after winning the Class 3A mixed doubles crown last season.
“We are super excited to be back at the state tournament,” Whitsel said. “It’s always electrifying to be playing among the best players in the state.”
The duo breezed through the Region III tournament beating Jonah Kubena and Abbi Joines in the opening round 6-0, 6-0 and shutting out Trevor and Emily Menzel or Groesbeck in the quarterfinal match. In the semi-finals, they beat Marco Chavez and Elena Luna of Clifton 6-2, 6-2 and became regional champions with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Caleb Powell and Malaysia Williams of Woodville.
Gonzalez and Whitsel open the UIL Class 3A tennis state championship on Thursday afternoon against Jesse Gaut and Ashlee Wyatt of White Oak. If they win, they will play in the semi-finals at 5:30 p.m., and the championship match is scheduled for noon on Friday.
“We anticipate a difficult match in the semi-finals as Goliad is back in the mix,” Whitsel said. “They lost to the state runner-up Sonora last year in the semi-finals.
“I think our strategy is to stay under the radar and play good consistent tennis.”
Whitsel is a junior and Gonzalez, a senior, will play in her final high school athletic event.
“I’m glad to have the opportunity to return and defend our state title,” Gonzalez said. “This is our last time to play together and I hope we can go out with a bang.”
Opening match is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Whether they will play at the Mitchell Tennis Center or the Smith Intramural Tennis Center hasn’t been announced as of press time.
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