JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
Lauren Hankle was completely gassed.
“I’m so tired,” Hempfield’s senior said, “that I can’t even think right.”
Temperatures soaring near 90 degrees in the second week of October will do that to you, especially when you spend nearly two and a half hours on the tennis court, chasing shots left and right in a pressure-packed match.
And when it was all over, Hankle had the most gas left in her tank – but not by much – and she topped McCaskey sophomore Leah Rutt 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 in the Lancaster-Lebanon League Triple-A singles championship match at Conestoga Valley on Monday afternoon.
It was the second league singles title in a row for Hankle, who defeated Rutt 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) in last year’s finale. She then went on to win the District 3 Triple-A title with a victory over Conestoga Valley’s Jennie Eckhart.
Hankle, Rutt, Eckhart, Manheim Central’s Melanie Nolt and Hempfield’s Chelsie Yacks, who were the top five Triple-A finishers in the bracket, advance to the District 3 Tournament, which gets started with first round and quarterfinal round action on Saturday at Cedar Crest.
The semifinals and finals are set for next Monday at Elco.
Hankle’s victory on Monday more than made up for a loss to Rutt back in the regular season.
“I tried to be steady and just outlast her – that was my game plan,” Hankle said. “I’m not used to it being this hot in October. I knew toward the end that she was getting a little tired, and I tried to take advantage of that. I just kept battling.”
Rutt, the No. 1 seed in the bracket, jumped out to leads of 4-2 and 5-3 in the first set, only to watch Hankle, the No. 2 seed, storm back and take a 6-5 lead. Undaunted, Rutt held her serve and made it 6-all, forcing a first-set tiebreaker.
Rutt raced out to a 5-2 lead, only to watch Hankle storm back again and win the tiebreaker 8-6.
“I wasn’t nervous at all actually,” Hankle admitted. “When I get down I’m usually OK because I’m pretty good at getting tough and coming back. I love fighting back.”
Hankle had to fight back in the second set, too. She did jump out to a 5-3 lead, but Rutt rallied, broke Hankle to slice it to 5-4, then held her own serve to tie it at 5-all.
Hankle fought back and won the set 7-5.
“I was playing tentative and I wasn’t on top of my game,” Rutt said. “It slipped away from me just like that. But Lauren played a great match.”
It’s been a great week for Hankle, who not only defended her league crown, but gave a verbal commitment to accept a full athletic scholarship offer from Youngstown State.
She picked YSU over West Virginia, James Madison and Maryland (Baltimore County), among others.
“Couldn’t be happier,” Hankle said.
ACKER CLAIMS DOUBLE-A CROWN: Pequea Valley senior Katelyn Acker pulled off the Cinderella story of the tournament, winning the Double-A singles title as the fifth seed.
She upset No. 1 seed Bekah Shanaman from Elco in the semifinals last Saturday, and then topped Lancaster Country Day’s Laura Habecker 6-3, 6-0 in the title match Monday, also at CV.
“I was seeded fifth, so I really wasn’t expecting to win,” Acker said. “And I wasn’t sure what to expect because I’d never played her.”
Turns out Acker’s first match against Habecker was a successful one. She said she used a new spin shot to her advantage, and felt more comfortable after the butterflies wore off.
“I still can’t believe it,” Acker said. “I was so nervous.”
Acker, Habecker and Shanaman, who rallied to win the third-place match, advance to the District 3 Tournament.
DOUBLE YOUR FUN: Manheim Township’s Leah DeMasters, a former league singles champ, teamed with Caroline Barry to win the Flight One doubles title on Monday at CV, compliments of a 4-6, 6-3, 13-11 victory over Manheim Central’s Melanie Nolt and Bekah Roland.
