Fort Wayne's dual hopes for a first singles or doubles state tennis championship fell just short Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.
Canterbury's Leah Barnes fell in the singles state final 6-4, 6-2 to Penn senior Alexandra Brinker at North Cenrtral High School, and the Bishop Dwenger doubles team of Elizabeth Maxson and Audrey Rang lost to the Highland team of Abigail and Vanessa Madrigal 6-1, 6-2 in the doubles state title match.
Barnes had beaten Brinker earlier this season in three sets, the only set the freshman had lost all season. Finishing 28-1, Barnes had defeated Floyd Central junior Olivia Boesing 6-3, 6-4 in the morning semifinals to advance to the championship match.
Maxon, a junior, and Rang, a sophomore, defeated the Jasper team of Ashley Rogers and Elizabeth Theil 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals. The Saints' duo finishes the season with a 23-1 record.
A Fort Wayne player has never won the girls state singles championship, though Homestead's Brenda Hacker finished second in 1984, 1985 and 1986/
No team from here has won the doubles state title. Homestead's Megan Everett and Susan Lentz finished second in 1992, Homestead's Alicia Butz and Molly Figel were the runners-up in 1996 and the Spartans' Brooke Parrish and Connie Shim placed second in 2003.
