Laskey, Highlands keep region title streaks alive

Highlands tennis player Meredith Laskey continued her amazing run at the 10th Region tournament at Harrison County, winning the girls' singles crown for the sixth year in a row and qualifying for the state championships for the seventh straight year.

Laskey, a junior, defeated Montgomery County's Caitlin Conyers, 6-0, 6-0 in a rematch of last year's final, helping Highlands win its 10th straight regional title.

The top-seeded Laskey, who carries a top-5 USTA Ohio Valley ranking, once again heads to the KHSAA state tournament, which takes the singles and doubles finalists and the two other semifinalists from each region. She defeated Harrison County's Bryson Clifford, 6-0, 6-0 in Monday's semifinals.

Conyers, the No. 2 seed, beat Highlands' Sarah Hoffman, 6-2, 6-1 in the other singles semifinal. Hoffman, the No. 3 seed, was a regional doubles finalist last year.

Highlands, with 17 of a possible 18 points, qualified for sectional play of the KHSAA team tournament, outpointing runner-up Montgomery County (10). The Bluebirds need another win to reach the state round.

Laskey, the Bluebirds' all-time victory leader, began her unprecedented finals run as a fifth-grader, losing to sister Carrie Laskey as an 11-year-old.

A Laskey sister has won the 10th Region girls' singles crown seven years in a row.

Their mother, Highlands coach Kris Laskey, is in her third year with the team while continuing the Bluebirds' winning tradition that her daughters helped start. For the second consecutive year, they swept the singles and doubles championships.

"It's super, and obviously fun to repeat," said coach Laskey, who starred at Purdue. "I was especially happy for our No. 2 doubles team because they had never been this far before."

Top-seeded sisters Abby and Lexi Herman repeated with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Highlands teammates Lauren Auteri and Caroline Christian in the doubles final. The Hermans defeated Montgomery County's Breanna Crump and Sara Karaus, 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals.

No. 5 Auteri-Christian, in the regional for the first time, beat St. Patrick's Lauren Heller and Elizabeth Heller, 6-0, 7-5 in the semis. Auteri-Christian upset the No. 2 seed in last week's doubles quarterfinals.

As for Laskey, she had been primarily a counter-puncher with great success scoring from the back line, until this year. With greater strength, and a wider variety of shots following a tough off-season program that included twice-monthly USTA matches, she's been more on the attack.

That was evident Monday with dominating wins in the semifinals and finals. "Whether it was with a big serve or a big return, I was a lot more aggressive than before," Laskey said.

She's still motivated by the fact that she lost her last match last season, getting eliminated in the state quarterfinals. The four-star recruit at tennisrecruiting.com has not made it past the state semifinals, losing there as a freshman.

It was a singles sweep for the second straight year for Highlands' tennis teams. The Bluebirds' top-seeded Ben Emery repeated as boys' singles champion Monday with a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 2 seed Sam Hodgson of Montgomery County.

Emery eliminated No. 4 Jacob Markley of Harrison County, 6-1, 6-1 in the semifinals. Hodgson beat George Rogers Clark No. 5 seed Laz Wilkerson, 6-0, 6-0 in the other semi.

Highlands' No. 4-seeded doubles team of Max Freyberger and Tylo Mitchell was eliminated in the semifinals by the No. 2 seed, Montgomery County's Connor Danis and Will Razor, who met George Rogers Clark's Brooks Harrison and Zane Logan in Monday's late final to decide the team crown.

Harrison-Logan, the top seed, beat Campbell County's Mason Geiman and Jake Walters in the semifinals.

Girls' 10th Region singles final: Laskey (Highlands) def. Conyers (Montgomery County), 6-0, 6-0. Semifinals: Laskey def. Clifford (Harrison County), 6-0, 6-0; Conyers def. Hoffman (Highlands), 6-2, 6-1.

Girls' 10th Region doubles final: A. Herman-L. Herman (Highlands) def. Auteri-Christian (Highlands), 6-0, 6-2. Semifinals: Herman-Herman def. Crump-Karaus (Montgomery County), 6-0, 6-0. Auteri-Christian (Highlands) def. Heller-Heller (St. Patrick), 6-0, 7-5.

Girls' 10th Region team standings (top two): Highlands 17, Montgomery County 10.

Boys' 10th Region singles final: Emery (Highlands) def. Hodgson (Montgomery County), 6-2, 6-1. Semifinals: Emery def. Markley (Harrison County), 6-1, 6-1; Hodgson def. Wilkerson (George Rogers Clark), 6-0, 6-0.

Boys' 10th Region doubles final: Harrison-Logan (George Rogers Clark) vs. Danis/Razor (Montgomery County). Semifinals: Harrison-Logan def. Geiman-Walters (Campbell County), Danis/Razor def. Freyberger-Mitchell (Highlands).