Putnam County High School’s new girls’ tennis program reached several milestones over the course of just a few months, including a 3rd-place finish in the AA Region 4 tournament on April 11, at Putnam High’s new tennis complex.
In the opening round, PCHS went up against Davidson Fine Arts out of Augusta, and freshman players Hannah Erickson and Vidhi Raiyani both won their singles matches in the first round. With the overall match score tied at 2-2, sophomore Giana Hamlin went to a tiebreaker in the third set of her match but came up short for one of her few losses this season, giving Davidson the 3-2 win.
“We didn’t make it to the championship round, but I was extremely proud of how the girls competed,” head coach Christian Keiser said later.
The day’s second match came against Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School (RCTCM), which decided who would be the third and fourth seed for state playoffs.
This was a tough challenge since the Putnam girls had to play back-to-back matches and had more pressure on them than in normal competitions.
Vidhi and Hannah again won their singles matches to tie the overall score at 2 before Putnam doubles team Joelle Lukens and Cadence Fox pulled out a victory in their third game to give the Lady Eagles a 3-2 match win.
“Overall, the girls played their hearts out. The entire regular season was extremely competitive, and we knew the tournament would be as well. It was an amazing experience for the team to compete in this kind of atmosphere,” Keiser said, adding that he is proud of his team, regardless of results because they had achieved numerous things for the program and themselves all season long.
Several teachers and students came out to watch and show support to the tennis team throughout the day and PCHS Service Leadership students assisted in setting up and manning concessions.
With a new facility and a young, already capable team, PCHS made a great showing. With seven of Putnam High’s 11 players freshmen who had never played tennis before this year and only one senior on the roster, the local girls have already demonstrated they are ready to challenge for championships.
“I wouldn’t want to coach any other group of girls,” Keiser declared. “I’m so proud of all they have accomplished to this point. I know the future of the program is bright. At this point, we are getting ready to compete in the state playoffs.”