Polk’s Heider brothers earn spot in state 1A tennis tournament

Polk County’s doubles duo of Ryan and Henry Heider qualified for the state 1A doubles tournament, finishing second Saturday in the 1A West Regional in Mount Airy.

The Heiders earned a state berth by reaching the regional championship match, where they dropped a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 decision to Lincoln Charter’s Parker Powell and Jackson Law.

The Heiders will begin play in the state 1A tournament on Friday at Cary Tennis Park in Cary. It is the second state appearance this academic year for a Polk County doubles team – Hannah Jenne and Tana Harris won the state 1A doubles title last fall.

Heider and Heider earned a 6-4, 6-0 win over Gray Stone Day’s Cristian Hernandez and Nicholas Goodnight, then defeated Mount Airy’s Harrison Morris and Hunter Eaton 6-3, 6-1 to reach the title match.

The Heiders will see Powell and Law again on Tuesday when Polk County travels to Lincoln Charter for a second-round match in the 1A state playoffs.

Polk County’s Henry Monts dropped a 6-0, 6-2 decision to Thomas Jefferson’s Jackson Pitcher in the opening round of singles play.