While the boys tennis season was wrapping up at the end of October, Columbia River junior Faith Grisham was just getting started.
Or more like keeping up her momentum from the summer.
Grisham is the area’s top returning state placer in singles from 2017, having finished fourth at the 2A tournament. That has motivated her to get even better for 2018.
“I’ve been practicing pretty much every day,” Grisham said. “I’ve really tried to incorporate moving forward and being more aggressive in my game. I’m going to win rather than just hit the ball in. Hit more winners and make my opponent go on the defensive.”
Confident words from a player who is coming off a successful summer of United States Tennis Association junior events that saw her reach several tournament finals and consolation finals. Grisham currently ranks 17th in the USTA Pacific Northwest Section in the girls 18s age group.
“It’s kinda fun to look (at the ranking), but I just need to work hard every day,” she said.
Helping with the work-hard portion is new Columbia River head coach Kevin Erickson, himself a former three-time 2A state singles champion from Ridgefield.
“I know she wants to build on last year’s fourth-place finish at state,” Erickson said. “Faith is feeling confident. I think she could have a really good year.”
4A GSHL: This could be a wide-open year as for who could get to state with the graduation of Camas’ Hannah Gianan, who was state runner-up last spring. Returning seniors who were first-team all-league last year include Andrea Besara of Battle Ground and Sam Merrill of Camas.
Two-time defending league champ Union will have junior Nicole Knudtson, who was half of the Titans’ third-place doubles team at state. She will team with senior Anna Foster in doubles. The Titans also have sophomore Miriam Muntean, who will mostly play singles during the season, but coach David Heitsch said Muntean could do either singles or doubles at district.
“We look to battle against a great league from top to bottom this year,” Heitsch said.
Skyview gains a likely No. 1 singles player in junior Anna Lu, who competed for Mountain View last year. Senior and doubles state placer Karly Metz is in the singles mix for the Storm this year.
3A GSHL: Mountain View ran the table in its first year at 3A and could be tough again with two state qualifiers and four of eight bi-district qualifers returning. Junior Juwoon Kim leads the Thunder after a trip to state last year, and senior Sabrina Wang was a doubles state qualifier.
Don’t count out Prairie or Fort Vancouver as both programs have huge turnouts. First-year Prairie girls coach Shiori Baba has senior Misa Le and junior Sarah Shirley as top singles players. Hudson’s Bay returns senior Avery Honaker, who was a state qualifier last year.
