Laywell headed for fourth straight State trip

Thorndale’s Landry Laywell will make a run at defending her state tennis title, as she won the Class 2A Region IV girls single championship last week.

The senior won state gold in 2018 and this will be her fourth straight trip to the state tournament.

She was the No. 1 seed heading into the regional tournament which was played April 17-18 at the HEB Tennis Center in Corpus Christi.

Laywell defeated Gillespie of Mason 6-1, 6-1 in the region championship match.  Those were the only two sets that the Lady Dog lost in the entire regional tournament.

Laywell had a bye in the first round, and defeated Coscetti of Woodsboro 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.  She then went on to win her semifinal match over Palacio of Mason 6-0, 6-0.

Laywell will compete at the UIL Tennis State Championship on May 16-17 at the Texas A&M University George P. Mitchell and Omar Smith Intramural tennis centers in College Station.

She will face Liz Perkins of Moody in the state quarterfinals at 9: 30 a.m. on May 16.

Semifinals are set for 3 p.m. on May 16 and finals will be played at 8:30 a.m. on May 17.

Other Thorndale tennis players making the regional tournament included Austin Pausewang, Sam Reaves and Elise Biar.

Pausewang, who competed in the boys’ singles division, defeated Sanchez of Benavides 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the opening round of the tourney.  The senior then fell to Kerr of Mason 1-6, 0-6 in the quarterfinals.  Kerr went on to win the regional boys singles title.

Thorndale’s mixed doubles team of Sam Reaves and Elise Biar fell in their first round contest.  The seniors lost to Schulte and Reyes of Sabinal 0-6, 0-6.

It was the first regional tennis tournament appearance for Pausewang, Reaves and Biar.