Crook County tennis dominates district

Published 9:38 am Saturday, May 17, 2025

Crook County tennis won three of the four titles in the boys and girls Special District 4 championships at the three-day district tournaments that wrapped in Madras Friday, May 16.

Crook County singles players Sami Ramos and Victor Covarrubias took district championships as the did the Cowboys’ top boys doubles team, Evan Wood and Gregory Hubble.

The Cowgirls’ doubles team of DeLaney Engstrom and Tayah Hagensee made it to the finals as well but lost the title match.

All singles and doubles teams that finished in the top four earned berths in the state tournament, held May 22-24 in Corvallis at the OSU Tennis Complex.

Overall, three Cowgirl singles players — Ramos, Callie Winebarger and Gabi Ramos — qualified for state. Covarrubias was the lone singles player to make state, but two Cowboy doubles teams and one Cowgirl doubles duo advanced.

As a program, Crook County won the girls tournament with 45 points. Madras was second with 20, Irrigon third with 15 and Sisters fourth with 12. The Cowboys also won, totaling 34 points. Madras was second with 22, Sisters third with 116 and Irrigon fourth with 12. In all, 13 schools were at the district tournament.

Covarrubias came in as the third seed but dominated in the tournament, losing just one set. He didn’t lose a game en route to the semi-finals. There, he faced No. 2 seed Shalom Mendoza of Riverside. Mendoza started off strong and took set one 6-2. From there, Covarrubias was unstoppable. He took the next two sets 6-1, 6-3.

In the finals, he faced No. 4 seed Dominic Pulver of Sisters. After Covarrubias won the first set 6-3, Pulver retired the match and Covarrubias was district champion.

Ramos’ run to the title was equally dominant. As the No. 2 seed, Ramos didn’t lose a game in winning her first three matches.

In the semi-finals, she faced her sister, freshman Gabi Ramos. Gabi took two games in set one against the eventual champion but Sami took set two 6-0. That put Sami up against teammate Winebarger, who beat No. 1 seed Vicky de la Torre of Ione-Heppner is a great semi-final match, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

The two Cowgirls, both exhausted on the third straight day of the tournament, went at it for the title, but Ramos controlled the match, winning 6-2, 6-3.

Winebarger was outstanding in reaching the finals. She won her first two matches 8-0 and then 6-0, 6-0, then won in the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-2 over Sophie Rush of Sisters. Friday morning in Madras, she beat de la Torre in their epic match.

Gabi Ramos showcased her tremendous potential with an easy run to the semi-finals. She won her opener 8-1, her next 6-1, 6-0, then beat Umatilla’s Dulce Serrano 6-2, 6-3.

Kim Cordero Cruz, the Cowgirls fourth singles player, didn’t get a bye and won her opener 8-1, then gave de la Torre fits before losing 8-6.

In other Cowboy singles play, Malachi Walker got an 8-0 first-round win, then a 6-1, 6-2 victory to get into the quarterfinals against Mendoza. The Cowboy gave the higher seed a challenge but fell short 6-3, 6-4. Freshman Josiah Oelkers won his opener 8-4 but then fell to Pulver 6-1, 6-2. Noah Hatina won his opener 8-6, but then lost to Madras White Buffalo Julian Santellano 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles action

Wood and Hubble cruised through the doubles bracket, not losing a game in their first two matches. In the semi-finals, they ambushed Oscar Corria and Shane Issel of Irrigon 6-2, 6-1.

In the finals, Wood and Hubble faced Madras cousins Juan Pablo and Isidro Olivera. The Buffalo pair had a good start and took set one 6-3, but the Cowboys controlled play from there, closing in dominating 6-2, 6-0 fashion.

The doubles team of Hoyt Kudlac and Caleb Decker lost a close match to the Olivera cousins in the semis but then fell to Issel and Corria in the third-fourth match. They’ll be at state, though, as a fourth-place qualifier.

Jack Thomas and Leiton Sabado of Crook County lost their opening pro-set match 8-5. Caleb Lutz and Isiah Walker fell in round one 8-6.

About the only real disappointment for the Crook County tennis program at district was their highly-seeded Cowgirl doubles team, Mikayla Giard and Aubrie Olson, not reaching state. After winning their first two matches 8-2 then 6-1, 6-1, they were upset by Madras duo Yashira Chavaro and Arely Alonzo 4-6, 6-4, 10-4.

Engstrom and Hagensee were a powerhouse running through the early matches, winning 8-0, 6-1, 6-1 then 6-0, 6-0 to reach the semis. There they beat Chavaro and Alonso 6-1, 6-2 to reach the title match. In the championship, they faced a pair of sophomores from Irrigon in Sammy Yates and Claire Mueller, and the Knights got the title, taking set one 6-0, then holding on for a 6-4 capper.

The Cowgirl team of Isabella Sarabia and Marely Robles played well, winning their opener 8-0 then their second match 6-1, 6-0, but then they faced Yates and Mueller and fell 6-0, 6-0.

Nyla Gillett and Valerie Ruiz also won their opener but were topped by the eventually fourth-place finishers Kiera Sharp and Macie Reeser of Stanfield 6-3, 6-2.