Prep Roundup: Bonanza Sunset’s top seed

Steve Cunningham

Thursday, Oct. 9, 1997 | 12:58 p.m.

The week began with four Sunset Division boys' tennis teams vying for the top two spots and an invitation to the zone tournament.

After Monday, Bishop Gorman, Bonanza and Meadows were left standing. Wednesday's season-ending matches left the three schools still knotted but a tie-breaking procedure eliminated the Mustangs, giving Gorman and Bonanza postseason bids.

And in the final act of craziness, XXX won a coin toss this morning and was awarded the division's top seed.

Finally, we know who is playing on. Still, one of the coaches involved -- Bonanza's Rick Niemczewski -- wanted to determine the top seed another way.

"We definitely would rather do in a (head-to-head) match and I'd like to believe Gorman would, too," Niemczewski said. "That's the way it should be decided."

Bonanza had little trouble with Durango Monday, winning 21 1/2-1. The doubles teams of Josh Benson and Ryan Christensen, and Sean Hubbard and James Greathouse, won three sets each against the Trailblazers.

Gorman won at Palo Verde, 20-2 1/2. Meadows did its part, winning at Cimarron-Memorial, 12 1/2-10, as Adrin Himmelheber and Brad Biehl won three sets each.

"My kids had a great season," a disappointed Meadows' coach John Talbert said. "I'm proud of them for playing hard and knocking off Bonanza."

Green Valley and Silverado captured the top two Sunrise spots. The Gators blanked Basic, 22 1/2-0, and Silverado beat Rancho.

In other matches, Valley took out Las Vegas, 16-6 1/2, as Nick Tedesco and Jun-Ho Song won three sets in doubles. Boulder City beat Eldorado, 16-6 1/2, scoring several points via forfeits. Clark downed Western, 18 1/2-4 and Cheyenne picked up a forfeit victory over Mojave.

The same schools qualified for the girls' zone tournament. Green Valley beat Basic and Silverado knocked off Rancho to determine the Sunrise representatives. The Sunset, however, came down to a tie-breaker just like the boys.

Undefeated Gorman is the top seed after beating Palo Verde, 21-2 1/2. Bonanza took out Durango, 15-7 1/2, behind the play of Gina Piercy, Erin Mangino and Donna Espensen. Cimarron beat Meadows, 12 1/2-10, as Ashleigh Tagliaferri and Lindsay Mortensen, Lori Hull and Kristin Stewart and Jeanne Salls and Michelle Torgerson all won key doubles matches.

Bonanza, however, gained the zone bid by virtue of its head-to-head win against the Spartans.

In other girls' matches, Las Vegas beat Valley, 21 1/2-1, Chaparral knocked off Moapa Valley, 12 1/2-10 and Clark won at Western, 19 1/2-3. Cheyenne beat Mojave, 20-2 1/2, as Candice Green and Keneisha McLeod, Christina Krischel and Lisa Allen and Chrisina Alfonsi and Robin Oxborrow won three sets in doubles.

* GIRLS' GOLF: Green Valley knocked off Eldorado, 226-303, at Nellis AFB behind Emily De'Ath's 38 ... At Los Prados, Western beat Cheyenne, 287-295. Dallas Ewing of Western was medalist with a 39; Jessica Calman of Cheyenne fired a 41.