Great concentration and stroke making catapulted representatives from all four Federal Way School high schools into the Washington state tennis tournament after play was completed at the Class 4A West Central District tennis tournament after top six finishes on Saturday, May 22, at the Sprinker Recreation Center.

From Friday through Saturday, local players earned their final tickets to the state championships to be held at Kamiakin High School and the Tri-Cities Court Club in Kennewick beginning May 28.

Decatur junior Meghan Cassens completed a four-match, zero sets lost coronation march to her third consecutive girls singles crown with a 6-1, 6-0, semifinal rout of Olympia's Katelyn Orchard before returning to the court late Friday night to outduel Corrinne Wurden of Central Kitsap, 6-1, 6-3, in the championship. Wurden claimed a 3-2 second set lead before the Gator ace turned up her powerful all-around skills to win four consecutive games and the match.

Cassens opened up at state against Ami Vo of Newport.

The second Federal Way girls singles qualifier was decided in a triple threat series of matches involving Federal Way School District hopefuls.

Federal Way junior Haley Ward upset Decatur senior Sarah Lin, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). Ward used good movement to control the first set before becoming embroiled in a second set donnybrook with Lin. The Eagle player took a quick lead in the tie-breaker and held sway to the end.

"I just had to focus and stay on top of the net to get passing shots," said Ward.

The focus then turned to Thomas Jefferson senior Averi Kitsch. In early day play, Kitsch eliminated teammate Breanna Ziccarelli, 6-2, 6-3, setting up a winner-to-state, loser-out match against Ward.

Showing good judgment and aggression, the Raider grounded the Eagle early and posted a 6-2, 6-1, verdict.

"I was really pumped and wanted to go for it," exclaimed the happy Jefferson participant. "It was a mixture of carefulness and knowing when to go for it that set the tone."

Meesha Sundarum of Bellarmine Prep defeated Kitsch, 6-2, 7-5, to send the Raider to Kennewick with the No. 6 seed out of WCD. Kitsch earned a state match against Ktijene Stime of Mead.

On the girls doubles court, the SPSL seventh-seeded Jefferson pair of Mackenzie Qualls and Caroline Min advancing to state might seem surprising, but the experienced seniors found a way to reclaim their status as a team to be reckoned with.

Qualls and Min followed up their so-called upset over Puyallup's Sullivan and Brown on Wednesday with a 7-5, 6-3, triumph against the No. 1 Narrows seed, South Kitsap's Chloe Helms and Kailyn Skjonsby in the quarterfinals for the automatic state berth on Friday.

"We had been playing badly before the districst," admitted Qualls. "This time we stayed strong at the net and angled shots."

For Min it was a return to form.

"We really wanted to go back to state because it's our senior year," she said. "At state, we need to be more consistent with our energy instead of it coming and going. We just have to keep focused."

Sierra Southworth and Maria Bahlenhorst of Tahoma took a 6-1, 6-1, semifinal win against the Raiders, but Qualls and Min took the No. 3 seed by closing out Peyton Protheroe and Karen Wentzke in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Qualls and Min faced Chelsea Motzer and Lani Sherman of Mead in opening day action at state.

One of the huge surprises in the tournament was the emergence of two unheralded youngsters from Federal Way.

The Carmen Ferguson-coached pair of sophomores, Lauren Lang and Mina Park, rebounded from a Wednesday loss to win three straight loser-out matches on Friday in the consolation bracket and claimed a state berth.

Eighth seeded SPSL Lang and Park beat Croley and Yun of Stadium, 7-6, (11-9), 6-2, Friday morning before gaining an injury default win against South Kitsap's Helms and Skjonsby.

Continuing their success, the Federal Way grouping then earned an automatic berth to state by defeating Kentridge's Jazmin Ah Yat and Alissa Lee, 6-3, 6-4. A 6-1, 6-0, loss to Eliano Spero and Niki Skinner of Kentwood left the Eagle pairing the sixth and final seed with Alie Welch and Demie Warner of Kamiakin as their state opponents.

In the boys' bracket, Todd Beamer's Joseph de la Cruz finished fourth in singles play while Kainoa and Makoa Rosa finished their district action as the fifth place doubles entry to state.

De la Cruz followed up Wednesday play by stroiking past Medlock Greg Medlock of Emerald Ridge, 6-0, 6-1, Paul Yi of Kentridge, 6-1, 6-2, and Nick Noronha of Bellarmine Prep, 6-4, 6-2. Max Manthou was the champion.

Mitch Williamson of Jackson is the Titan athlete's first state challenge.

Following Wednesday's state qualifying play, the Rosa brothers were edged out in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, by eventual champions Michael and Brian Pinkard of Puyallup in the semis before being dropped, 6-2, 6-4, by Tuckert Siegert and Alex Noyes of Kentwood. Jake and Youngha Kim of Edmonds will be their state opponents.

Kentwood edged out Auburn 18-16 for the girls top two spots with Jefferson third at 15. Kentridge outdistanced Kentwood 22-18 for the boys team title.