Cooper Hayes and Andrew Robaska’s final time playing this season ended on a high note.
The Park Hill South doubles team closed out the Missouri State High School Tennis Championships in Springfield with a victory and took seventh place on Saturday, May 25.
Hayes and Robaska opened play on Friday, May 24 and lost their opening match 6-4 and 6-2 against Leonardo Da Silva and Victor Stefanescu of St. Louis University High.
Later in the day, the Panthers stayed alive with a 6-1 and 6-0 victory against Joseph West and Kanish Patel of Francis Howell North.
A third match of the day against a St. Louis area school turned into a second straight win for Park Hill South, securing a 6-2 and 6-0 win against Ethan Hinni and Adnan Patten of Marquette.
When play resumed on Saturday, May 25 at Cooper Tennis Complex, Park Hill South drew conference foes Owen Mulachy and Tyson Cowger of Liberty and lost 7-5 and 6-3.
The two doubles teams were in the same sectionals and Cowger/Mulachy got a forfeit win against Park Hill South’s second doubles team that couldn’t compete due to illness.
The loss bumped the Panthers tandem into the seventh-place match against Joseph Hammerly and Matthew Debacker of Lee’s Summit North. Hayes/Robaska won the opening set, 6-2, but lost 7-5 in the second.
In the deciding set, the Panthers won 6-1 to secure a seventh-place medal.
Submitted photo
The Park Hill South doubles team of Andrew Robaska and Cooper Hayes, far right, took seventh place at the MSHSAA Tennis Championships on Saturday, May 25 in Springfield, Mo.