CHEYENNE — The Green River girls’ tennis team overcame hardship to finish second in the Class 4A South Regional tournament in Cheyenne this past weekend, trailing only Cheyenne Central.
Rock Springs placed sixth overall, with both Sweetwater County teams hindered by unique bracket conditions.
Cheyenne South’s failure to field No. 2 or No. 3 doubles teams altered the tournament structure, resulting in many byes that allowed some opponents to stay fresh while Green River and Rock Springs were forced to play entire matches.
Despite the hurdles, the Wolves finished second with three top-three finishes, while the Tigers gained vital experience during the season.
Rylin Arnell of Green River completed one of the more impressive runs of the weekend in the top singles position. Seeded fifth, she defeated Rawlins’ Aizlee Jenkins 6-2, 6-1 in the first round before losing to eventual champion Hailey Mathis-Breitkopf of Cheyenne Central in the semis.
Arnell recovered to beat East’s Ashley Smith and go to the third-place final, where she battled from a set down to upset Laramie’s Peyton Thornburn, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
