Polk County’s tennis team, which had suffered a disappointing loss to Owen recently, enjoyed some moments in the sun at the Western Highlands Conference tennis tournament at Avery County High School on Tuesday, April 26.

The Wolverines’ Tyler Oxtoby was crowned conference singles champion, after he defeated Robin Stith of Mountain Heritage, 10-2.

Just previously, Stith had edged Polk’s Henry Monts, 10-8, in the semi-finals. Fate could have placed Oxtoby and Monts in a finals face-off, but that didn’t quite happen.

However, both Oxtoby and Monts will compete in the regional singles competition at Gardner-Webb University on May 6.

Polk’s Coach Richard Davis reported that his doubles combination of Payton Stott and Alec Becker comprised the surprise duo at the conference playoffs, as their Avery opponents edged them, 9-8, in a tiebreaker. Had they turned the tables on Avery, Stott and Becker would have played against Hendersonville for the conference doubles title. Instead, Hendersonville nipped Avery in the doubles finals, 8-6.

Stott and Becker still qualified to compete at regionals.

In other doubles play, Polk’s Rustin Muse and Malik Miller fell to Avery’s team, 8-3, and did not qualify for regionals.

In all, Davis reported, “not a bad day at the conference tourney at Avery.”

Unless Polk draws a wild card, the Wolverines’ season as a team is over, but on Monday, May 2, “we will know if that occurs,” Davis noted.