Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The Spring Jubilee, state 1A spring championships, started yesterday in Radford with at least one Bobcat looking for the triple-crown in singles, doubles and team tennis.
Junior Logan Graham has already collected the three in both the conference and West regionals and is a favorite to do the same in state girls’ play.
Also, the Lady Bobcats are in familiar territory after dominating the girls’ tennis ranks for almost a decade and have a shot at the state championship for the second year in a row.
Graham is also a heavy favorite to bring home, or should we say keep them in Radford, titles in both singles and double action with teammate Mallory Wood.
“We have all put a lot of work in the season as a team to be able to make it to the Dedmon Center and defend our state title. As an individual, I have worked very hard to have a chance as an individual state winner, and I feel like a lot of hard work is paying off,” she said.
Graham admits that once you reach the final four all the teams will be very good, so Radford will have to bring its A game.
“I think we have a pretty good chance to make it to the state final but we still need to work hard. I hope to make it to the state final and will leave it all on the court trying,” she said.
Last season, Wood and Graham finished as the runner ups in double match play. They hope to change it this time around.
Graham started playing tennis at the age of seven and has played three years on the varsity level, improving every season, going from the number three seed her freshman year to number one this year.
She played on a U.S. Tennis Association team when she was in fifth grade, thus playing in several tournaments along the way.
Graham credits her dad, who is an avid tennis player and an assistant coach on the varsity team, and her mother with the push to be a better player.
“I attribute a lot of my success on the court to my parents. My dad is a tennis player and knows what takes to play at a higher level. He pushes me every day to be a better player. He is always willing to go and practice with me, and my mom is a very supportive person and comes to all my matches. Both my parents supply me with the confidence and tools it takes to win,” she said.
In the future, she plans on attending a four-year college, but is not sure if she will continue to play tennis or not, which could be good for her opponents that might be waiting down the road.
She would like to study Nutrition and Dieteics but is still looking at other options. For now, Graham has become a force on the high school tennis circuit and is only a junior.
