Girls tennis: Christopuloses, Cooksey sweep singles titles to lead Layton to region championship
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- Layton High tennis player Tia Christopulos hits a volley during the Region 1 girls tennis tournament Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 at Mount Ogden Park.
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- Farmington High tennis player Brighton Johnson hits a forehand during the Region 1 girls tennis tournament Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 at Mount Ogden Park.
OGDEN -- Two years ago, then-Layton High freshman Tia Christopulos lost 6-2, 6-4 to then-Weber freshman Jane Dunyon in the Region 1 girls tennis No. 1 singles championship match.
Dunyon won the 6A state championship that year.
Last season, Region 1 didn't have a girls tennis tournament, but Christopulos lost both regular-season meetings to then-Farmington freshman Anna Frey.
Frey won the 6A title last year. Neither Dunyon nor Frey play high school tennis at the respective schools anymore.
Christopulos does, and won herself a first title in No. 1 singles in Friday's Region 1 tournament at Mount Ogden Park. It had the feeling of 'about time.'
"It feels good, it feels nice, it's good to have those other girls who were the best because it's fun to play against them...I feel like I learned a lot from them and that helped me grow," said Christopulos, now a junior.
She beat Farmington's Brighton Johnson 6-2, 6-0 in the title match. Christopulos' topspin groundstrokes made it tough for Johnson to last long in rallies, and Christopulos established control of the match early.
"Yeah, I was just sort of trying to attack her, to not hit it in her strike zone where she likes it, get her off-balance," Christopulos said.
Her win in No. 1 singles was part of a 3 for 3 day for the Lancers in singles championship matches en route to a close Region 1 team championship win.
On the next court over, Layton's Tana Christopulos won the No. 2 singles championship match in straight sets over Davis player Esmae King.
In the final game of the match, Tana Christopulos won consecutive points by ripping a forehand serve return down the line, then hitting a drop shot for a winner off a serve.
LHS senior Victoria Cooksey made it a singles sweep for the Lancers, beating Davis' Ava Dunyon in straight sets to win the No. 3 singles title.
Like most years when there's been a Region 1 tournament, one championship match split sets. This year, that was the No. 1 doubles match.
Weber's Hattie Fisher and Malorie Davis prevailed in a long match to beat Davis' team of Ellie Henderson and Mia Schimmer, making it a 0-for-4 day in finals matches for the Darts.
The Warriors' No. 2 doubles team of Gracie Toole and Millie Hardy made it a 2 for 2 day for Weber finals representatives with a straight-sets win in the title match.
The 6A state tournament starts with first-round matches Sept. 23 at Corner Canyon High, before moving to Liberty Park the next weekend.
REGION 1 TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
No. 1 singles: Tia Christopulos (Layton) def. Brighton Johnson (Farmington), 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Tana Christopulos (Layton) def. Esmae King (Davis), 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 singles: Victoria Cooksey (Layton) def. Ava Dunyon (Davis), 6-0, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Hattie Fisher and Malorie Davis (Weber) def. Ellie Henderson and Mia Schimmer (Davis), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
No. 2 doubles: Gracie Toole and Millie Hardy (Weber) def. Libby Williams and Rachel Burke (Davis), 6-2, 6-2
TEAM SCORES
1. Layton, 32
2. Davis, 29
3. Weber, 24
4. Farmington, 22
5. Fremont, 17
6. Syracuse, 11
Connect with reporter Patrick Carr via email at pcarr@standard.net, Twitter @patrickcarr_ and Instagram @standardexaminersports.