Eagle girls split matches, seek state tourney spot

The Eagles finished the dual match season at 11-3, 6-2 in the NWOC. The Eagles defeated Wilsonville on May 1 and Hillsboro on May 2 to complete their NWOC match schedule. HRV lost a nonleague match on Friday at Catlin Gabel.

Hood River has two seeded singles players and one seeded doubles team in the field of 32 district brackets. The 2023 NWOC girls district tourney is Tuesday and Wednesday at Parkrose High School and Portland Tennis Center. The top four singles players and top four doubles teams at district advance to the state tourney.

Hood River Coach Peg Bogard had figured correctly that her No. 1 and 2 singles players and No. 1 doubles team probably would be seeded among the top four spots at the district tourney. Seeding is determined by coaches and based on head-to-head match-ups, records and past postseason performances.

Tally Godkin and Vivian Olson, a state tourney player last season, are seeded No. 5 in doubles. The Eagle pair of seniors was actually tabbed as the No. 4 seeded girls doubles team, but they were moved to No. 5 in the bracket to prevent same-team match-ups in the first round.

Godkin and Olson have lost just twice this season as a pair.

“I have high confidence (that they can qualify for state); I think, especially, in the doubles, because they both are seniors and Vivian has been through it before and they both handle the pressure very well,” Bogard said.

Sophomores Jenna Hager and Kendall Sales are seeded in singles for HRV at district. Hager lost for only the second time this season against Amanda Perez of Catlin Gabel and is 10-2 on the season. Sales is 11-1 this spring, earning three more wins last week.

The Eagle singles players, as well as the rest of the field, likely will have to get through sophomore Kennedy Harris of La Salle Prep enroute to a championship. Harris won last year’s NWOC district title and the 5A state singles crown, as well.