Sacred Heart Girls Win Kentucky State Championship

Congratulations to Sacred Heart Academy who won the Kentucky Girls State Championship! The Valkyries were nearly perfect in the dual match state tournament outscoring their opponents 12-1 to claim their first state title since 2008. Sacred Heart got wins from doubles duos Katherine English and Sydney Thompson and Mary Elaine Kuo and Erin MacMillan to take a 2-0 lead in the championship over Lone Oak. Lone Oak's Michelle McKamey got a victory at the No. 1 singles position to move the Purple Flash within 2-1, but the Valkyries clinched the match with Abbey MacMillan's 6-0, 1-6, 10-3 victory. The team titles marks the eighth team title for the Valkyires, three shy of the state record held by Lone Oak. Sacred Heart senior Katherine English made history in the doubles state tournament as she partnered with Sydney Thompson to capture her third straight Kentucky Girls Doubles State Championship. With the championship English becomes the first player since 1978, and just the fifth all-time, to win three straight titles.

Saint Xavier Boys Win Kentucky State Championship

Congratulations to Saint Xavier who won their fifth straight Kentucky Boys State Championship! The Tigers outscored their four opponents 12-0 to finish the dual match tournament undefeated and claim their 22nd overall state title. Saint Xavier senior and Alabama signee Sean Donohue led the Tigers to the state championship before turning over the reins to fellow senior Parker Thieneman and sophomores Brandon Lancaster, Nick Quinones and Liam Friel who capped off the team championship with a 3-0 win over Lone Oak. The Tigers also dominated the individual tournament placing seniors Zachary Kuo and Parker Theineman and underclassmen Coleman Cox and Nick Waldeck in the Doubles State Championship. Kuo/Thieneman prevailed 6-3, 6-2 in the all-Tigers finale to give St. X their seventh doubles title since 2000. Defending State Champion Sean Donohue advanced to the singles semi-finals and sophomore Brandon Lancaster finished the year with a runner-up finish in the Singles State Championship.

Jesuit Boys Win Louisiana Division I State Championship

Congratulations to Jesuit who won their sixth consecutive Louisiana Division I Boys State Championship! The Blue Jays who finished in 12th place in the 2013 DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships put on a dominant performance in the state tournament to claim the title. Jesuit was led by senior LSU signee Hobie Hotard who became the first Louisiana high school boy to win four consecutive singles titles in the LHSAA Division I state tennis tournament. The Blue Jays' top doubles duo of Trevor Lew and James Sampognaro fell short of defending their state title, losing in the championship, but earned valuable team points. Jesuit freshman Jonathan Niehaus advanced to the singles state semi-finals and the doubles team of Kevin Mickan and Gregory Suhor advanced to the doubles state semi-finals. The title marks Jesuit's twentieth state title overall.

Gulliver Prep Boys & Girls Win Florida Class 2A State Championship

Congratulations to Gulliver Prep who won both the Florida Class 2A Boys and Girls State Championships! 

Gulliver Prep dominated the boys tournament winning all seven divisions in the team event to earn the maximum 21 points and clinching both the overall singles and doubles state championships. The Raiders were led by Singles State Champion Chase Perez-Blanco and the Doubles State Champion duo of Perez-Blanco and Baker Newman. Gulliver Prep's Chase Perez-Blanco, Baker Newman, Brian Granoff, Robert Roque and Patrick Bared each claimed titles in the team competition. Gulliver's performance marks the first time since 2009 that a team has swept the team competition and both individual championships. 

It is the Raiders boys eighth overall state title, tying American Heritage for fourth most in state history. Barron Collier has won six championships the past seven years.

The Raider girls were dominate in their own right winning five of the seven divisions in the team competition and claiming the overall doubles title. Gulliver's Olivia Thaler, Julieta Dalmau and Madeline Benn won their singles divisions and Thaler & Dalmau and Benn & Estefania Navarro won their doubles divisions. The doubles duo of Thaler and Dalmau went on to claim the overall doubles state championship as well. This is the fifth state championship for the Gulliver Prep girls. 

Barron Collier Boys Win Florida Class 3A State Championship

Congratulations to Barron Collier who won their fourth straight Florida Class 3A Boys State Championship! The Cougars who are back-to-back DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships Finalists clinched their state title winning three of the five singles draws and both doubles draws finishing with 18 points, well ahead of Gainesville with 12. Barron Collier's Alan Sweet, Michael Raymond and Alejandro Vargas won individual titles at No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 singles respectively. Jorge Vargas and Sweet won the No. 1 doubles draw and Paul Johnson and Doug Small won at No. 2 doubles.

It is the Cougar boys ninth state title overall, tying Bradenton Prep for third most in state history. Barron Collier has won seven championships the past nine years.

Dates for 2014 Tournament Announced

The DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships will return to Louisville, KY for the 2014 tournament. The dates of the eighth annual event have officially been released. The girls will open tournament play on March 21-22nd. The Boys will wrap up tournament play on March 28-29th. 

The 2014 tournament will feature an 16-team A Division and 8-team B Division for both the boys and girls to host a total of 48 teams. Teams participating in the A Division will be guaranteed four matches and teams participating in the B Division will be guaranteed 3 matches. 

This year we will be offering an early-bird special for teams that commit to the event prior to January 1st. The entry fee for A Division teams will be $400 before January 1st and will increase to $425 after January 1st. The entry fee for B Division participants will be $300 before January 1st and will increase to $325 after January 1st.

To reserve your spot in the 2014 event please fill out the 2014 Participant Interest Form. 

Photos Now Available -- Boys DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships

Photos from the 2013 Boys DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships are now available via Megan Stearman Photography. 

The photos include quarterfinal play from Saint Xavier on Friday and Championship round matches played at E.P. Sawyer State Park on Saturday, March 23rd and prints are available for purchase online with prices starting at just $4.99.

Click here to view the entire gallery