PUEBLO — A state tennis quarterfinal match Thursday was a reunion of two childhood friends. 

On a hot afternoon in the 4A girls tennis No. 1 singles quarterfinals, Cheyenne Mountain’s Rose Katen beat Rampart’s Alexandra Ross 6-4, 6-1 to advance to Friday’s semifinals at Pueblo City Park. The win was a bittersweet one for Katen, who played with Ross, also a senior, in her early tennis career.

“We used to play with each other every day,” Katen said. “It was fun to play people I know well, but it’s also a lose-lose situation. At first, I was treating it like it’s a fun practice, but I realized I needed to be competitive instead of just having fun with my friend.” 

Despite a back injury, the senior advanced to the quarterfinals after a 6-2, 6-3 win over Palmer Ridge’s Maddy Truong in the first round and will face Grand Junction’s Maridie Schmidt on Friday. 

Katen was the 2025 No. 2 singles and 2024 No. 3 singles state champion and has embraced the increased competitiveness while playing No. 1 singles this season. 

“It feels like days off, everyone is good,” Katen said. “I have to go out and play my best every time, even though I’m injured, which has been fun but difficult. It’s exciting to be able to spend my last year with the team, but it feels surreal.”

Katen was part of an elite Cheyenne Mountain squad that advanced to the semifinals in each position. The Red-Tailed Hawks will play Kent Denver in next week’s team state tournament.

On the doubles side, two Pikes Peak region teams will play each other in the No. 1 doubles semifinals. The most dominant team of the day was the Red-Tailed Hawk duo of Saffron Heroldt and Mary Koury, who glided through the first round and quarterfinals, scoring 6-0, 6-0 over both Canon City and Palmer Ridge. 

The pair won the state title last season and hasn’t lost to a 4A opponent yet this season. The team’s chemistry is “at an all-time high” and has only become stronger over the past year. 

“She’s one of my best friends,” Heroldt said. “We’re good at reading each other this year, and our skills have naturally gotten better over the year. We’re always on the same page and trust each other.”  

The Cheyenne Mountain seniors will face Air Academy’s Riley Green and Bronwyn Whisenant on Friday, who advanced to the semifinals after a gritty 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 win over Grand Junction. 

The Red-Tailed Hawks have come out on top in the previous two meetings with the Kadets, but Heroldt and Koury are going into the match with a fresh mindset. 

“We’re just doing our best and having fun,” Koury said. “We’re not too concerned about where we place. Enjoying our last season is what it’s about more than winning.”

Cheyenne Mountain semifinalists:

No. 1 singles: Rose Katen

No. 2 singles: Alyssa Sadri

No. 3 singles: Sophie Zhou

No. 1 doubles: Saffron Heroldt, Mary Koury

No. 2 doubles: Emma Varnum, Sienna Haubert

No. 3 doubles: Ruth Ringer, Ayva Bonicelli

No. 4 doubles: Erica Leveille, Eleena Case