Pirates wrap up successful season at state championships

It was an impressive return season for the Porterville College women's tennis team and head coach Kurt Nielsen. The Pirates recently wrapped up their first season of action in 15 years with a pair of state championship qualifiers.

Freshman Claire Nuno in singles, as well as the doubles team of Nuno and freshman Eileen Counihan-Rooney advanced to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Tennis State Championships on April 25-28 at the Ojai Valley Tennis Club.

Nuno suffered a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Yesenia Palacios of Cerritos College in her opening-round singles match on Thursday.

Nuno and her partner Counihan-Rooney were victorious in their first-round doubles match, defeating the Southwestern College team of Liliana Martinez-Corona and Samantha Zamora by scores of 6-3, 6-1. But their season came to a close after a 6-0, 6-1 loss to the No. 8-seeded duo of Heather Graf and Yasmin Johnson in the second round.

The Porterville duo qualified for the state championships thanks to their quarterfinal appearances at the Big 8 South Conference tournament.

As a team, the Pirates compiled a 7-7 overall record and finished tied for third place in the Big 8 South with a 6-5 mark.