The Putnam County High School Lady Eagles were ready for their final home tennis series of the regular season on March 7 versus Richmond County Technical Career Magnet (RCTCM). Augusta-based RCTCM proved to be a formidable foe for Putnam County, putting together extremely competitive efforts in the toughest matchups the Lady Eagles have faced so far this season.
Junior team leader Gianna Hamlin lost her first match of the season, but not without a fight and she continued to lead and motivate her team. Singles winner Hannah Erickson kept the Eagles at 1-1 against the Lady White Tigers. Three more matches hung in the balance.
Doubles teams split wins, placing the Lady Eagles at 2-2. Abigail Hildreth and Carolyn Thomas dropped a close match, while Joelle Lukens and Cadence Fox came away with a victory.
“This was Abigail’s first match this season. She was practicing hard and beating out other players for a spot all week leading up to the matchup,” team coach Christian Keiser explained. “Having the competition at practice helps the squad.”
Putnam County ultimately took the win 3-2, with the deciding factor being Vidhi Raiyani’s singles match victory to keep the Lady Eagles 6-0 and hold onto first place in the region.
“We still have work to do, and we can’t become complacent,” Keiser stressed.
Next up for the Lady Eagles tennis team is a visit to Augusta on March 16, to take on Westside in region play.