Claywell battles great odds to get to state, Chapman continues tradition, while Jersey's doubles team has strong tourney
EDWARDSVILLE – Marquette Catholic’s John Claywell battled great odds of getting to state in tennis this year after a car crash tragedy with fellow teammate Zack Hunter, but after much tenacity, he achieved his season-long goal.
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Marquette's Claywell defeated Alton's Silas Chapman in the third-place IHSA Edwardsville Tennis Sectional singles match Saturday in Edwardsville, Claywell scoring a 6-2, 6-0 win over Chapman.
Marquette Catholic’s tennis coach Mike Walters said he was surprised how John fought through all of the things that have happened to him this year.
“For a young man to lose such a close friend and then a doubles partner and he still makes state, that says a lot of the character of John Claywell,” Walters said. “This is a young man that wants to win and put aside all of the distraction and still made state. What a great kid.”
It's the 19th consecutive year Alton has had at least one representative at the state tournament. The top four in both singles and doubles competition advanced to the state tournament.
The Edwardsville Tigers had 27 points to take the team title, with Jersey taking second with 10 points, followed by Metro-East Lutheran (eight), Marquette Catholic (seven), Alton (six), Civic Memorial (four) and Roxana and East Alton-Wood River (no points each).
Edwardsville’s Erik Weiler defeated teammate Luke Motley in the singles final, Weiler taking a 6-2, 6-4 win over Motley. The doubles team of Zach Trimpe/Alex Gray defeated Jersey's Alex Goldacker/Alex Roth for the doubles title, Trimpe/Gray winning 6-0, 6-0. Seth Lipe/Carson Ware also advanced to this coming weekend's state tennis tournament at Arlington Heights Hersey in suburban Chicago, with other matches taking place throughout the Chicagoland area, by defeating the Panthers' Drake Blackwell/Trevor Davis 6-0, 6-2.
The state tournament, the last single-class tournament before both boys and girls tennis goes to a two-class system beginning next fall, commences Thursday and runs through Saturday.
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