Bullard duo of Clark Gunn and Abby Wills to compete at state tennis tournament

Published 5:15 pm Tuesday, May 18, 2021

BULLARD — Bullard tennis coach Josh Boyd decided to put Clark Gunn and Abby Wills together to play mixed doubles at the start of the season.

The duo got to regionals and rolled to a win of 6-2, 6-2 in the first round.

In the quarterfinals, it was a win of 6-1, 6-0. Gunn and Wills remained dominant in the semifinals by winning 6-3, 6-1.

They fell in the regional championship to Wills Point’s team of Jacob Daniell and Paricia Petzold, 6-3, 6-4, but still punched their ticket to the UIL Tennis State Tournament.

“It’s really exciting,” Wills said. “My sophomore year, I was pretty devastated that I didn’t get to go to state. And last year, there was no opportunity.”

Wills, a senior, had played singles and girls doubles in the past. Gunn, a junior, played mixed doubles but with a different partner.

“They’re both our No. 1s, and when you size up what the rest of the district is doing, you try to give your kids the best chance to make it to regionals and make it to state. They’ve both put in a lot of time and effort, and they deserve a shot. No matter what happens, not everybody gets a chance to compete here at state.”

While there was obviously an adjustment period, the team gelled quickly, and it has paid off.

“We get along well off of the court,” Gunn said. “We’ve been playing well pretty much all year, and it builds confidence and chemistry.”

Wills joked that Gunn did hit her in the shoulder one time during a match, though.

The Class 4A state tournament begins Thursday at the Annemarie Tennis Center in San Antonio. Gunn and Wills will open against the Bellville team of Brandt Okonski and Claire Novicke at 10:30 a.m.

“We want to play our best,” Wills said. “I hope we can both keep really good attitudes all of the time and just walk off the court knowing we tried our best.”

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Other East Texas tennis state qualifiers:

Jacey King and Taegan Michel, Lindale, Class 4A girls doubles; Grayce Malone and Abby Krell, Wills Point, Class 4A girls doubles; Sarah Scull and Emilee Elliott, Center, Class 4A girls doubles; Monica Ybarra, Palestine, Class 4A girls singles; Ian Williams and Jack Callen Watlington, Center, Class 4A boys doubles; Weston Baker and Dakota Willis, Wills Point, Class 4A boys doubles; Sean Miller, Palestine Westwood, Class 3A boys singles; Jason Harris, Central Heights, Class 3A boys singles; Trinity Hale and Gracie Cates, Edgewood, Class 3A girls doubles; John Langley and Macy Weeks, White Oak, Class 3A mixed doubles; Hunter Oliver, Martin’s Mill, Class 2A boys singles; Chase Bynum and Christopher Palmer, Linden-Kildare, Class 2A boys doubles; Asa Dawson and Deuce Garrett, Cushing, Class 2A boys doubles; Elizabeth Moreau, Woden, Class 2A girls singles.

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