Pembroke Hill’s Adella Castaner takes home Missouri tennis singles state championship

Cooper Tennis Complex has been a special place the last couple of years for Pembroke Hill’s Castaner family.

Alisha Castaner won the clinching match in the Missouri Class 1 high school team tournament last year, giving Pembroke Hill a 5-4 win over John Burroughs in the championship match.

This year the spotlight was on her younger sister, Adella. Adella Castaner played No. 2 singles behind Randi Hendricks all season for the Raiders. But she finished the season No. 1 in Class 1 as she captured the singles championship with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Emily Kantrovitz of John Burroughs in a battle of freshmen on Saturday.

“I really don’t know what to say,” Castaner said after her convincing win over the No. 1 player from the state-champion Bombers. “I came in wanting to win this tournament and it is just exciting that I did.”

Pembroke Hill coach Mike Duckworth had to submit his lineup order to the Missouri State High School Activities Association by Sept. 26. Castaner was still No. 2 on the team. But her game, both physically and mentally, got better and better as the year went on.

“She has matured so much in the past month,” Duckworth said. “She played such smart tennis here. Her match this morning (a 6-4, 6-2 win over Lizzie Barlow of Villa Duchesne) was a tough one. I went over to talk to her and she knew exactly how to adapt against a player that was like hitting against a wall. She was very patient and took control of the match.”

Duckworth expected a long match in the finals, but Castaner took control after being down 2-1 in the first set.

“Tenacious is the best way I would describe Adella’s game,” Duckworth said. “She is a very good defensive player but she can handle the pace like she saw today. I think a lot of that is because she hit so much with Randi this year.”

Castaner made a big statement when she defeated Hendricks in the district championship match.

“I really thought at the beginning of the season that Randi would win state,” said Castaner of her sophomore teammate, who earned a medal with a sixth-place finish. “But I felt as the season went on that my shots got harder, my serve was better and I was more consistent.”

Castaner did not lose a set in any of her four state matches, which included a huge 6-3, 6-4 win over Lily Walther of John Burroughs in the quarterfinals. Walther ended up winning the consolation championship with her win over Hendricks.

Park Hill South junior Eva Kresovic fell short of defending her Class 2 doubles crown. She had not lost a set, including a 7-6, 6-0 semifinal-round win over Lafayette’s Katie Ferguson in the semifinals, but fell in the championship match to Corrine Farid of Rock Bridge, 6-2, 6-0.

Barstow’s doubles team of Hannah Tadros and Helene Bergere advanced to the Class 1 doubles championship match but fell in straight sets to Sami Remis and Gaby Thornton of John Burroughs. Remis and Thornton both wrapped up a triple crown. They had been a part of two team titles and had each won Class 1 singles titles, Thornton in 2016 and Remis last year.

Pembroke Hill’s doubles team of Lynne Li and Jean Li had a very successful tournament, finishing third in Class 1.

Blue Springs senior Caitlyn Sporing won a state medal for the second year in a row in Class 2 singles. She followed up a fourth-place finish last year with a fifth place this year that was actually a tougher achievement. Sporing won her first two matches last year before losing her last two. Four wins are needed for a consolation championship (fifth place). She defeated Colby Kelley of Liberty in the fifth-place match 6-4, 7-5.