BOYS TENNIS: Lebanon County players shine on opening day of L-L tourney

Colin Muraika, Nick Tull, Adam Bahney and Galen McNaughton are Lebanon County's top scholastic tennis players.

After the first day of the Lancaster-Lebanon League tournament, the quartet is still in line to be the league's best as well.

Cedar Crest's Muraika and Tull, and Elco's Bahney and McNaughton each turned in standout performances on Thursday at Conestoga Valley High School, advancing to Saturday's semifinals in Flight One Class AAA and AA singles, respectively.

Muraika, the three-time county singles champ and reigning L-L AAA champ, led the way, gaining his semifinal berth with a pair of straight-set victories.

Waiting for No. 2 seed Muraika in Saturday's AAA semis will be Tull, who was even more impressive on Thursday while dropping just two games in earning his trip to the semis.

The highlight of the sixth-seeded Tull's day came in the second round when he routed No. 3 seed Jack Fowler of Manheim Township by a 6-0, 6-0 score.

Meanwhile in AA, Bahney and McNaughton stayed on course for a possible finals meeting with straight-set victories of their own.

After drawing first-round byes, Bahney, the No. 2 seed, topped Pequea Valley's Weston Doutrich by a 6-1, 6-2 score, and No. 4 seed McNaughton prevailed

over Grant Conway of Lancaster Catholic, 6-4, 6-2.

Bahney will face No. 3 Patrick Cook of Lancaster Catholic in the semis, while McNaughton will take on top-seeded William Wanner of Lancaster Mennonite in a rematch of last year's AA title match.

Also on Thursday, Cedar Crest's Liam Easter advanced to the Flight Four singles semifinals, and three county doubles teams advanced to the second round, either via byes or on-court victories.

Still alive in doubles are Muraika and Tull (Flight One AAA), Bahney and McNaughton (Flight One AA) and Linden and Mason Bennetch of Elco (Flight Three).

Play begins on Saturday at 8:45 a.m, with the finals slated for Monday at Conestoga Valley.