Jim Thorpe’s doubles team of Keira Reese and Chloe Tantala knew the competition at yesterday’s District 11 double tennis championships would be stout.

Both players also knew they could match up with most of the teams in the event, and it showed in their first match on the Lehigh University courts.

Coming in as the No. 9 seed, Reese and Tantala fought through a five-set victory over No. 8 Blue Mountain’s Mary Solga and Elizabeth Gockel 6-4, 6-7, (5-7) 7-6 (7-5), marking just the second time a JT girls doubles team advanced to the district quarterfinals.

They spent a lot of time and energy in that first match, not only playing three sets but also going to tiebreak twice.

“We both stayed pretty calm,” said Reese. “I have lots of experience playing tiebreaks with previous matches during the past two seasons. So it was almost second nature to be put in this situation again. I remember telling Chloe that we just had to stay calm and rely on the skills we knew we previously had. When it got to 6-5 in the third set tiebreak, I told Chloe that we just needed to end it there. I do not care how we ended it. We just needed to end it.

“We were really happy to make it to districts. But winning the match to get us into the quarterfinals was really exciting.”

While the first match was thrilling and tightly-contested, the quarterfinal match was a 6-0, 6-1 loss to Allentown Central Catholic’s Madelyn Groff and Valentina Munoz, who were the top seeds in the Class 2A field.

“Coming out of our first match with a win was a huge accomplishment for us,” said Tantala. “We are only the second girls team in Jim Thorpe history to do that.”

In the first round against the Blue Mountain duo that was strong at the net, the Olympian pair kept its shots deep and down the lines.

“Both girls from Blue Mountain played really well, but there were a few areas where Chloe and I found weaknesses in them,” said Reese. “One of those was hitting down the line, which was originally suggested by coach Emilio [Mercado] and worked really well. It was a huge game of court placement and mixing up what shots we hit to keep them on their toes. They were really strong net players, so it took a little bit for us to decide where we needed to place the ball.”

While they were both members of the Olympians’ singles lineup this season, they did play together in one doubles match in 2024, and were partners early in their high school careers.

“Chloe and I have played doubles together plenty of times,” said Reese, a junior. “We already had the dynamic on the court, this time with better skills. Chloe and I are also good friends off the court, which greatly improves our communication skills on the courts.”

The two players complement one another on the court.

“I feel as though Keira’s base-line skills, coupled with my aggression at the net, proved to be a powerful duo,” said Tantala. “However, our opponents were also very talented and gave us a run for our money.”

While they were able to take care of their first opponents in the marathon 2 1/2-hour match, the Olympian pair had less than 25 minutes to rest and prepare for the top seeded team from ACC.

“Their power and placement had me scared,” said Tantala, a senior. “Still, we put up a good fight for every point, so I’m proud of us regardless of the score. It was overall a great learning experience.”

Tamaqua’s Gabby Eroh and Megan Linkhorst couldn’t overcome Saucon Valley’s team of Annemarie Andres and Emma Sauvagnargues, as they fell 6-2, 6-0.

Despite the defeat to the tournament’s No. 3 seed, the moment was a memorable one for the Tamaqua duo, who had an overall 11-2 regular-season record. Both are seniors, and Linkhorst – who also plays softball — is playing tennis for the first time.

“Today was really good despite our loss,” said Eroh. “Megan and I played to the best of our abilities. I’m glad we had this experience together, and I am thankful for all our coaches’ and teammates’ support.”

Eroh only started playing tennis her sophomore year because of her friends’ influence, and her longing to play a sport.

“A win definitely would have been better,” she said. “But the other team earned it, and I was happy with our performance. Depending on the college that I chose, I would like to continue playing tennis.”

Linkhorst, who only learned how to play tennis four months ago, didn’t take anything for granted.

“Gabby and I did our best today,” she said. “I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to compete. I was really excited considering I basically just started playing the sport.”

Her introduction to the sport was a casual, yet effective one.

“While I was walking to one of our softball games, the tennis coaches asked the softball players if any of us wanted to play tennis,” she recalled. “I thought about it and decided to try something new.”

Linkhorst will attend Marywood College next fall to pursue a degree in psychology and play softball. However, her tennis career may not be over.

“I really enjoyed the sport, and wished I would have played earlier,” she said. “I also plan on continuing to play tennis whether it is for the school or just a club team.”

Head coach Kathy Odorizzi was pleased with the performance.

“Gabby and Meagan had a great season,” said Odorizzi. “The outcome wasn’t the one that we wanted, but they put up a good fight against a talented Saucon Valley team. They had some nice rallies, with many of their rallies going to deuce. It was a great way to end their season.”

Odorizzi also beamed how they both developed and evolved quickly.

“There’s been a lot of growth in their technique and strategy since the beginning of the season,” said the head coach. “Gabby is our captain, and has shown great leadership skills throughout the year. She is very motivating and supportive of the other players. They are both great role models for the rest of the team on how to win and lose graciously.”