Teams were recently selected for the Class 5A Tennis Team State tournament, and the 9-1 Greeley West Spartans were not selected.
Head coach Ryan Pace was very unhappy, especially in regards to five teams making the tournament with a lower RPI than the Spartans.
Many of the teams selected had records of 5-5 or worse; one qualified with a 5-7 record. Though records aren’t everything, the 9-1 record of the Spartans is far superior to other teams.
In addition, the Spartans placed 4th at the Greeley West Invite, consisting of high-quality teams.
One of the schools that Pace took most exception to was Arapahoe. The Spartans shared a common opponent with Arapahoe, who struggled to beat the team West easily disposed of.
The CHSAA, selection committee stated that the reason Greeley West was not selected was that they had played a 4A schedule through the season. Pace said it was not his choice to play 4A, but that CHSAA was the one who placed Greeley West in that conference. “Greeley West could be the best tennis team in the state, but because they were a 5a team playing a 4a schedule, CHSAA would never select them to be in the tournament,” Pace said.
For the remainder of the season, the team will have a massive chip on their shoulders to show that they should have been selected.
Pace had a lot to say. “We could easily compete. I know if we had the chance we could get out of the first round. I just know it would have been amazing to just be in the tournament,” Pace stated.
“These girls deserved it. I feel bad (as the coach), but I feel worse for the kids. They should be there. I just tell them, ‘You control what you can, it was out of our hands.’ A lot of the teams selected were big-name Denver schools. This tournament berth was not earned, it was given,” Pace reiterated.
