Decatur’s Cassens wins another SPSL tennis title

In just her second year at Decatur High School, sophomore Meghan Cassens now has two South Puget Sound League championships. Cassens rolled over Auburn’s Sandy Dennett Friday at Kent-Meridian High School, 6-0, 6-0.

During the SPSL Tournament, Cassens lost only two games during her four matches. Cassens won the SPSL singles title last year as a freshman before finishing second at the Class 4A State Tournament. Cassens lost to Gig Harbor sophomore Christy Sipes in the title match in 2008. Sipes, who Cassens beat for the West Central District title last season, is not playing tennis this season to concentrate on a higher level of competition.

Next up for Cassens is the West Central District Tournament, which will be played Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at the Sprinker Recreation Center in Spanaway. Cassens will open against Rogers’ Kristen Houmes in the first round Wednesday.

Cassens will be joined at the district singles tournament by Decatur teammate Sara Lin and Jefferson’s Averi Kitsch. Lin finished sixth at the SPSL Tournament after losing to Kentwood’s Tess Manthou Friday, 6-4, 6-1, in the fourth-sixth match at Kent-Meridian.

Kitsch earned the league’s seventh seed to districts with a loss to Tahoma’s Kelly Lehigh, 6-0, 6-0, Friday.

Lin will play Olympia’s Katelyn Orchard in the opening round Wednesday and the winner will most likely see Cassens in the quarterfinals. Orchard finished third at the Narrows League Tournament. Kitsch will take on Central Kitsap’s Corinne Wurden in her district opener. Wurden finished second in the Narrows League.

In doubles’ action, the Beamer pair of Melissa Canfield and Jessika Sutcliff and Jefferson’s Caroline Min and Mackenzie Qualls will also play at the district tournament.

Canfield and Sutcliff finished third at the SPSL Tournament after beating Min and Qualls in the third-fifth match Friday at Kent-Meridian, 6-0, 3-6, 6-2.

Canfield and Sutcliff will play the seventh seed from the SPSL, a Tahoma pair, in their district opener and Min and Qualls will take on the fourth seed from the Narrows League Wednesday.

The West Central District boys tournament will also kick off Wednesday after a six-month break.

Beamer’s Joseph de la Cruz and Corey Zalewski and Jefferson’s Joe Lee will play in the singles tournament and the Beamer pair of Chase Friedrich and Shawn O’Bryan, Federal Way’s Jake Stewart and Max Ward and TJ’s Makoa and Kainoa Rosa will play doubles.

Contact Federal Way Mirror Sports editor Casey Olson at sports@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565 ext. 5056.

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