East Valley tennis players competed at their respective regional tournaments throughout the week.
The East Valley had several representatives at the Class 4A regional tournament Wednesday and Thursday at the H-E-B Tennis Center in Corpus Christi. Raymondville won the District 32-4A boys and girls championships and was the only school from the district to have teams or individuals win their opening matches.
The Bearkats’ boys doubles team of Carlos Rodriguez and Angel Ortiz won 6-1, 6-4 in the first round and advanced to Round 3 with a 7-2, 7-5 victory. They lost the third-place match to finish fourth. The mixed doubles team of Hector Rodriguez and Keighara Leija won 8-6, 6-2 before falling in the second round.
Raymondville’s Ramon Pedraza advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 opening-round win in boys singles and Ilita Zamora bounced back from an opening-set loss to win 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 to advance in girls singles. The Bearkats also had the mixed doubles team of Franklin Brooks and Eva Telles qualify for the regional meet.
La Feria had Nicolas Jimenez compete in boys singles and Marlene Gutierrez in girls singles. The boys doubles team of Ythan Castillo and Jonathon Leal and the girls doubles duo of Julia Conde and Jimena Salazar also participated at the regional.
Port Isabel was represented by the girls doubles team of Tiffany Palestina and Gabriella Guerrero.
Class 5A and 6A competed Tuesday and Wednesday. The 5A athletes were at the NEISD Tennis Center in San Antonio, and 6A was nearby at the Northside Tennis Center in Helotes.
At the 6A regional tournament, the Harlingen High boys had a good day, advancing to the second round of the bracket in two divisions. Brandon De Los Reyes won his first match in straight sets and the boys doubles team of James Tanamachi and Michael Sanchez won 6-4, 6-3. Each lost in the second round.
Harlingen High’s girls doubles team of Julia and Naomi MacManus fell to San Antonio Churchill’s Julia Whithurst/Alexa Arevelos 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round.
Los Fresnos’ Jude Bruce competed in boys singles and the girls doubles team of Samantha John and Aliyah Gutierrez lost in Round 1. In girls singles, Harlingen South’s Victoria Garza and Brownsville Hanna’s Sophia DeLeon were defeated in their first matches. Harlingen South was represented by Daniel Garza and Konner Robinson in boys doubles.
In mixed doubles, Harlingen South’s team of Joe Bell and Kennedy Kibler was defeated in the opening round. Los Fresnos’ duo of Tommy John and Annistyn Martinez was defeated in straight sets.
At the 5A level, Brownsville Porter was represented by Pablo Amaro in boys singles and Guadalupe Suarez in girls singles. Porter’s boys doubles duo of Jesus Garza and Jose Flores regrouped from a 4-6 set loss to win 6-4, 6-3 and reach the second round.
Porter’s girls doubles team of Elvia Cardenas and Maribel Ortega and the mixed doubles squad of William Tanguma and Victoria Mendez lost in their opening matches.
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Patricio Castaneda lost his opening match in boys singles.
