The senior completes an undefeated career in singles play; NDHS, KCHS track athletes stand out as well
By Dan McWilliams
Lillie Murphy of Knoxville Catholic holds the girls Division II, Class AA tennis bracket with her name filled in from the first round through the state-championship line. (Photo courtesy Knoxville Catholic High School)
Lillie Murphy of Knoxville Catholic High School completed an undefeated singles career with her second straight Division II, Class AA state championship on May 23 at Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro.
Track-and-field athletes from Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga as well as KCHS also stood out during the TSSAA’s annual Spring Fling spring-sports championships.
Lillie, a senior, toppled Margarette Berdy of Chattanooga Baylor 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. That followed two 6-0, 6-0 sweeps May 22 of Anna Caroline Domas of Hutchison in the quarterfinals and Mimi Bowen of Ensworth in the semifinals.
“Lillie has been playing incredible all year long. She had a very dominant performance at state in which she lost a total of three games in three matches in the individual singles,” said Knoxville Catholic tennis head coach Rusty Morris. “Lillie defeated Margarette Berdy in the final. Lillie and Margaret played in the region final and also in the team finals, and Lillie defeated Margaret in each match.
A Furman signee, Lillie has been a part of seven tennis state titles at KCHS.
“Lillie won the individual doubles her freshman and sophomore year and won the singles title her junior and senior year,” Mr. Morris said. “Her freshman, sophomore, and junior year the team won the state championship, and this year the team came in second. That is an incredible achievement, and to never lose a singles match in four years in high school tennis is equally impressive.
“Lillie has been an incredible player and a great leader. She willed the team to the championship this year and won both of her matches in the team championship match.”
Baylor prevented the Lady Irish from four-peating in the team competition with a 4-1 victory in the finals. Knoxville Catholic advanced to the team championship with a 4-0 win over Harpeth Hall in the semifinals.
Audrey Strickland
Against Harpeth Hall, Lillie, Nalla Webb, and Lauren Murphy won singles matches. The duo of Lillie and Lauren, along with that of Nalla and Abby Hammontree, posted shutouts in doubles.
In the team finals, Lillie defeated Margarette 6-1, 6-1 in singles and joined Lauren in a doubles win, but Baylor captured the title.
“The team over-achieved this year,” Mr. Morris said. “We had several new and young players who stepped up and had huge wins to get us to the championship match. It was great for the girls team to go to Memphis and beat Hutchison in the quarterfinals to get to state. The team competed extremely hard against Baylor and had several close matches. Lillie won both of her matches, and Abby Hammontree was at one set-all when the match ended. I was extremely proud of all the team achieved this year.”
Audrey Strickland of Notre Dame won the East Region discus event with a school-record throw of 100 feet, 2 inches, in Division II-A.
“She also qualified for the state meet as the runner-up in the shot put,” said Notre Dame track-and-field head coach Charles Austin.
Ryan Fillauer
“At the state meet, Audrey broke her own school record in the discus for the fourth time this year. She took fifth place with a throw of 108 feet, 4 inches. She also placed seventh in the state in the shot put.”
Sprinter Ryan Fillauer also earned state-meet recognition for Notre Dame.
“As the East Region 400-meter-dash champion, Ryan was expected to finish seventh in the state meet,” Mr. Austin said. “He placed fifth in the state in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.13 seconds.”
Knoxville Catholic track-and-field competitors at the II-AA state meet included JR Fowler in the boys discus and shot put, the Fighting Irish boys 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams, Radek Molchan in the 400 dash, Cade Duncanson in the 3,200 run, and Payton Sipos, Giselle Zavas, and Jillian Hurley in the girls pentathlon.
Track-and-field state-meet events were held at Dean Hayes Stadium at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and the pentathlon at Ensworth High School in Nashville.