The opening round of the state tennis singles tournament was held over the weekend and many local players took part.

By the end of Saturday’s competition, 16 boys and 16 girls remained in Region 5 and among them are several familiar names.

Four local boys advanced.

Greely senior Thomas Dillman, the No. 3 seed, was an 8-0 preliminary round winner over Thornton Academy’s Dylan Pelletier and defeated Deering’s Jay Weaving 6-1, 6-3 in the Round of 32.

Yarmouth senior Mike Hickey, seeded fourth, eliminated Greely junior Stephen Hayes, 8-3, then ousted Tim Pryzbylowicz of Scarborough, 6-3, 6-2 to advance.

Yarmouth junior Ben Robinson, ranked 10th, blanked Cheverus’ Connor Shoos, 8-0, then defeated Falmouth senior Jack Wyman (an 8-5 winner over Fryeburg’s Johannes Henke in the first round) by a 6-3, 6-1 score.

Falmouth junior Nick Polko, seeded 13th, was an 8-0 winner over Kennebunk’s Ian Burke and defeated NYA junior Chris Whiting (who had advanced by default over Gorham’s Austin Arena) by a 6-1, 6-1 margin.

Junior Ben Morse of NYA lost 0-8 to No. 7 Adam Saltz of Scarborough in the first round. Falmouth sophomore Taylor Dimick fell 2-8 to No. 8 David Born of Westbrook in the first round. Yarmouth senior Lane O’Connor lost to Jesse Butler of Deering by default in his first match. Greely Will Hemand was a 4-8 loser to Andrew Cyr of Thornton Academy in the first round.

On the girls’ side, three Falmouth players, along with one each from Greely, NYA and Yarmouth advanced.

Falmouth freshman Annie Criscione, the No. 3 seed, beat Westbrook’s Mallory Driscoll, 6-1, 6-0 to advance. Senior teammate Hallsey Leighton, seeded fourth, defeated NYA sophomore Anna Jaeger (an 8-1 preliminary round winner over Westbrook’s LoriAnne Esmiller) by a 6-1, 6-2 score. Falmouth freshman Analise Kump downed Yarmouth senior Mariah Martin, 8-0, in the first round, and eliminated Waynflete’s Mariam Qazi, 6-1, 6-2 in the next round to advance.

Greely senior Eliza Williams, the No. 15 seed, defeated Kennebunk’s Hannah Rush, 8-3, and Fryeburg’s Katherine Russell, 6-0, 6-0.

NYA senior Thu-Trang Ho, seeded seventh, had no trouble with Deering’s Amy Currie, 8-1, or Thornton Academy’s Krista DeMario, 6-0, 6-0.

Yarmouth freshman Hannah Potter, ranked 12th, was an 8-5 winner over Portland’s Mary Moran and a 6-2, 6-1 victory over York’s Jenn Consaga.

NYA freshman Sarah Jordan defeated Freeport junior Marissa Lewis 8-0 in the preliminary round, but was then eliminated, 1-4, 4-6 by No. 10 Maggie Swann of Portland.

Freeport’s Rachel Gross downed York’s Rebecca Cole, 8-3, then lost, 0-6, 2-6 to No. 13 Natalie Egbert of Gorham.

Yarmouth senior Madeleine Pizey (3-8 to No. 11 Jenna Willey of Windham) and Freeport senior Jaimee McCormack (0-8 to No. 6 Pauline Schopp of Fryeburg) lost in the preliminary round.

Action to come

Competition continues Friday, May 29 with the statewide Round of 44 prelims and Round of 32. The Round of 16 and quarterfinals are Saturday, May 30. The semifinals and championships are Monday, June 1. Each of those rounds will be contested at Bates College in Lewiston.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.