PUEBLO — Cheyenne Mountain girls tennis continues to uphold its reputation as one of the best programs in the state. 

At the 4A individual state tournament Saturday morning, the Red-Tailed Hawks had five state champions out of seven finals matches. The program has had a long history of success, but after losing no seniors last season, this year has been particularly special for Cheyenne Mountain. 

Senior Rose Katen won her third state title and first in No. 1 singles, after taking down Windsor freshman Aristea Fulgenzi 7-5, 6-1 at Pueblo City Park. Katen has now won a title in each singles position. 

“Rose has been a great leader with her commitment to tennis,” head coach Dave Adams said. “She started out in No. 1 doubles and then kept moving up. But she didn’t just occupy those positions; she excelled. We always talk about having a good head and a good heart, and she has both.”

As Katen exited the court, she was greeted with cheers and hugs from Cheyenne Mountain supporters, and a few tears from her mother, Cindy Lockett. On her phone was a video of a young Katen hitting tennis balls in one of her first lessons. 

“Five to six days a week, all summer long, her dad drove her to Denver to train with the best in the state,” Lockett said. “He’s so committed, she’s so committed. I’m just so proud of what she has overcome to be here today.”

As a child, Katen dealt with asthma issues and came into Saturday with an injured back. Still, nothing was going to stop her from playing the sport she has loved for most of her life. It was one of her last matches, as the team co-captain turned down Division I offers to focus on academics at Fordham University in the fall. 

“I’ve never felt that intense in my life,” Katen said. “I was so stressed going into it, but I stayed focused. My mind was set. I lost to her a few weeks ago and knew it was going to be a difficult match, but didn’t want to lose knowing I could have won.”

Another senior, Sophie Zhou, also won her third straight championship and second in No. 3 singles after beating Grand Junction’s Kendra Tooker 6-1, 6-1. It was a bittersweet moment for Zhou, who will also forgo collegiate tennis to attend Stanford University.  

Senior co-captain Alyssa Sadri won her first state title in No. 2 singles Saturday, a moment four years in the making after placing second, fourth and third the past three years. 

The No. 1 doubles team of seniors Mary Koury and Saffron Heroldt won back-to-back titles after scoring 6-1, 6-1 over Mullen, a team they had never played before. Even so, the duo was confident they could win and still have not lost to a 4A team this season. 

“The amount of work we put in, we get what we get out, so we have to believe in ourselves and trust ourselves,” Koury, also a team co-captain, said. “It helps to know we both care about it and will show up no matter what.”

Almost all of Cheyenne Mountain’s state champions are seniors, but players are confident in the team’s ability to rebuild and continue its excellence on the court. Chemistry on the team was even better than last year, and a solid freshman class paves the way for a bright future.

A win over Kent Denver in next week’s team state championship would be the perfect ending to another dominant year for the Red-Tailed Hawks. 

“I feel lucky to be a part of such a good team,” Sadri said. “You can’t win anything individually. You need to be able to play with other good players to get better and be put in a position to win. This team will have no problem rebuilding.”

4A girls tennis individual state tournament championship results: 

No. 1 singles: 

Rose Katen, Cheyenne Mountain 

Aristea Fulgenzi, Windsor 

7-5, 6-1 

No. 2 singles: 

Alyssa Sadri, Cheyenne Mountain 

Nora Rapp, Kent Denver

6-1, 6-0

No. 3 singles: 

Sophie Zhou, Cheyenne Mountain 

Kendra Tooker, Grand Junction 

6-1, 6-1

No. 1 doubles: 

Mary Koury/Saffron Heroldt, Cheyenne Mountain 

Addie Aragon/Jane Roth, Mullen 

6-1, 6-1 

No. 2 doubles: 

Emma Varnum/Sienna Haubert, Cheyenne Mountain

Arwen Liu/Sofia Begal, Kent Denver 

3-6, 7-5, 6-3 

No. 3 doubles: 

Kinley Kilcoyne/Harper Young, Air Academy 

Sofia Pina/Drea Dickman, Kent Denver

6-1, 6-0

No. 4 doubles: 

Amy Calderon/Hazel Awsumb, Niwot

Erica Leveille/Eleena Case, Cheyenne Mountain

7-5, 3-6, 6-1