High school tennis players from all over the state gathered for the 2025 girls tennis individual championships on May 8-10.
The three-day tournaments concluded on Saturday in Denver for 5A, in Pueblo for 4A and in Colorado Springs for 3A.
Here’s a breakdown of all the action.
5A
Valor Christian junior Caroline Daugherty defeated Ralston Valley junior Emerson Bonner 6-3, 6-2 to capture her second consecutive state title at No. 1 singles.
Daugherty jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first set before Bonner rallied for three straight games to add some unexpected drama to the opening set. Daugherty finally held on at 5-3 to take the first set. Despite both players struggling to find their top form, Daugherty was able to keep herself ahead in the second set and cruised to the win.
“She started to find her rhythm more as the match went on, so I had to make sure I kept my focus in order to maintain my lead throughout the match,” Daugherty said.
After shaking hands with Bonner at the net following the final point, Daugherty was mobbed by her teammates, cheering and jumping up and down as they celebrated the second title for Daugherty.
“Caroline and Emerson have had some great matches this year,” said Valor Head Coach Bill Epping. “I thought Caroline handled the momentum swings well and was able to win big points and games to thwart Emerson’s attempts to rally.”
The match of the day, however, was for the No. 2 singles championship. Ralston Valley junior Scarlett Lutz defeated Rock Canyon sophomore Sanskriti Sinha in a tense, thrilling three-set match, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.
As Lutz and Sinha played deep into their final set, fans packed around the court, cheering raucously with every point.
In a third set filled with crucial plays and turning points, Lutz came up with the best of all. Tied at 4-4 in the third set, with Sinha serving and ahead 30-15, Sinha took advantage of a short ball by Lutz to drive a shot deep to the corner to Lutz’ backhand for what looked to be a winner.
Lutz, though, chased the shot down and incredibly found enough balance to drive the ball back over the net, landing out of the reach of Sinha and just inside the line. Lutz clinched her fist and shouted, “Come on!” as the Ralston Valley fans erupted wildly. Lutz rode that momentum to three straight points and a 5-4 lead.
Sinha showed plenty of mettle of her own, staving off a match point at 5-4 to come back and tie the score at 5-5. She saved two more match points at 6-5 before finally hitting a ball long on the fourth match point.
“My approach to the match was to try and play my game the whole time,” Lutz said after the match. “I knew she was an aggressive player and had an amazing forehand, and that I couldn’t let her take control of points. I feel a lot of it came from my coaches pushing me through the whole match. They kept telling me to play my game no matter what and focus on the things I can control.”
This was Lutz’s second state title. She won the No. 3 singles title last season.
But the breakout star of the tournament, unquestionably, was Ralston Valley freshman Anna Curran. Playing at No. 3 singles, Curran stormed through the competition, beating Cherry Creek junior Zoe Hochstadt 6-3, 6-0 in the finals to capture the state title. Of the eight sets she played over three days to win the championship, Curran won seven of the eight by a score of 6-0.
“That feeling of going into my first state tournament is one I will never forget,” said Curran. “I was feeling really nervous, but then I was constantly reminded by my teammates and coaches that we had all worked so hard for this all season, and that it would pay off. My team was constantly there supporting me. Having that state title as a freshman feels great, but I think a lot of the kudos goes to my team and coaches.”
Asked further about the role her team played in her success, Curran said, “My team is one of a kind. There is not one day that I come to practice and I don’t get challenged. Every single player on my team consistently pushes me to the best of my ability, especially Emerson (Bonner) and Scarlett (Lutz). When I practice, I am surrounded by people who want to get better, and seeing the grit in Emerson and Scarlett’s faces makes me push myself and constantly have that eagerness to get better. Something my team likes to say is ‘How you practice is how you play,’ and each and every one of us wants to get better, so we practice like that. The way we practice, and the way we hype each other up and calm each other down, is the reason why me and everyone on my team made it this far. This season is one I will never forget. I am truly blessed.”
In No. 1 doubles, Cherry Creek sophomore Elena Sepesi and senior Zoey Hao defeated the defending state champions at No. 1 doubles, seniors Adia Farling and Cassidy Gordon of Ralston Valley, 6-3, 6-3. This was the only individual title for perennial power, Cherry Creek.
In No. 2 doubles, Ralston Valley senior Kylie Engelsman and sophomore Olivia Hendrickson topped Cherry Creek junior Karissa Manley and freshman Elizabeth Harbaugh, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.
At No. 3 doubles, Ralston Valley sophomore Mataya Farling and freshman Julia Campbell beat Cherry Creek sophomore Dylan Milo and junior Sydney Wadsworth, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
At No. 4 doubles, Ralston Valley sophomore Kate Decker and freshman Sophia Baig beat Cherry Creek freshman Ashley Geoghegan and sophomore Chagajee Colburn, 6-2, 6-4.
4A
Kent Denver senior Lila Moldenhauer captured her third state title at No. 1 singles, defeating Niwot junior Sahasra Kolli, 7-5, 7-5.
Moldenhauer joins fellow Kent Denver senior Nathan Gold, making them the first duo in state history to hold three championships at No. 1 singles at the same time for the same school.
3A
Saint Mary’s Academy senior Ellie White captured the No. 1 singles title over sophomore Mira Leon of Colorado Academy, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Leon finishes runner-up for the second year in a row.
For more results and complete scores, visit CHSAAnow.com.