ALTON - Three state tennis qualifiers from Marquette Catholic High School capped an exciting season Thursday with an appearance in Chicago for the IHSA Girls Tennis State Championship after a tough schedule.
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Senior Shelby Jones squared off in Chicago singles competition, while her teammates and seniors Elena Gable and Laura Moore played together in their doubles matchups.
Marquette Catholic Coach Jim Claywell was extremely proud of his girls for making it to Chicago this weekend.
“Because we’re not in a conference, our whole season is built upon having a tough schedule,” Claywell said. “The girls had to improve after every match. At the end of the season, having three girls qualify for state is great for us. They worked very hard and they deserve it.”
“It’s very humbling to be able to represent our school,” Jones said Tuesday before practice with her teammates.
For Gable and Moore, they said it was very exciting to compete at state for their senior year. Jones headed to state last year as a junior and won a match in the extremely tough competition.
The girls also hope to take some time to explore the city, shop and have dinner together as a team.
For these three girls, heading to state competition isn’t just the work of their high school careers. The hard work that the girls have put in since beginning to play the sport in fifth grade has prepared the girls for what is at stake this weekend.
“It’s seven or eight years in the making,” Claywell said.
