KNIGHTS TENNIS BIG WEEKEND AT STATE!
The Barstow Knights tennis team was represented well in Class 2 MO State Individual Championships this week as three of their best came home with state medals and another STATE DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP!
Representing Barstow in the singles competition Sunny Gandhari lost a couple of tough matches on Friday to MICDS and Rockwood Summit, but his outstanding play on Thursday was enough to get to the medal stand for an 8th place medal.
In doubles, Richey King and brother Bobby King who had whipped the undefeated #1 tournament seed on Thursday from Ladue opened with a decisive win in the morning against Parkway West, 6-0, 6-1, and squared off against another St Louis team from Ladue in the doubles final.
In the first set, the Knights used consistent first serves and a solid net game to set the tone early and jumped to a 4-1 lead. After dropping the 7th game and being behind in the 8th the boys used a couple of sensational lobs and strong passing shots to move to a 5-2 lead, sealing the first set with a service break of Ladue, 6-2. The boys followed suit in the second set. Closing hard on the net and having solid service returns throughout, the Kings ran off 4 games in a row for a 6-2, 6-2 win and the STATE DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP.
Aside from a 9th doubles title for the tennis program, this completes the circle for the King family.
Janie King was part of two state doubles titles with Amelia Smith in 2015-16, Brian King followed with a state doubles title with Bradley Frye in 2016 and Richey King grabbed the singles title in 2021. This 2022 doubles title for Bobby and Richey completes the circle.....(their father Brian King Sr. was also a Barstow graduate and we are still meticulously searching the record books but thus far no evidence of the same
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.Congratulations to Sunny, Bobby, and Richey for a memorable weekend.
The Knights are not finished, however. on Thursday these three as well as George Colombo, Dylan Markey, Liam Groden, and Aaraam Salam travel back to Springfield for the state TEAM competition. Good luck guys........'let er rip'.
