Terrace doubles team ready for district tennis competition

Nicole Bouche and Gllian Braden-Armstrong with the Wesco tournament championship bracket documenting last week's win.
The doubles team practicing for this week's district tournament.

Story and photos by Doug Petrowski

Mountlake Terrace High School’s freshman/senior duo of Nicole Bouche and Gillian Braden-Armstrong won the Wesco/Sub-District 3A girls tennis doubles championship last week, and this week will compete in the 3A District meet Tuesday at Glacier Peak High School;

MTHS girls tennis coach Alberto Ramirez said there was a simple reason why he paired Bouche, who has been playing competitively for just two years, and Braden-Armstrong, who has been playing since age 7: “Because they are my two best players.”

The girls are confident after their Wesco/Sub-District win and are looking forward to their next challenge at districts. “We’re seeded No. 1, so the odds are in our favor,” Braden-Armstrong said.

The success of Braden-Armstrong and Bouche demonstrates the ever-improving girls tennis team at Mountlake Terrace. The squad finished the 2012 season with a record of 8-8 after going winless in 2011. Coach Ramirez attributes the improved record to stability in the program that hasn’t been there previously.

“Before I came there really wasn’t any continuity with the team,” Ramirez said, noting that coaches would stay for only a year or two at a time. Ramirez has coached the team for five seasons and is expected back next year.

But no one is thinking about next year yet; Coach Ramirez and his doubles team have their sights set on districts this week, with the goal of making the state tournament in Kennewick May 25-26.  The top two doubles teams coming out of the district meet qualify for state.

Bouche and Broden-Armstrong play their first match at noon Tuesday, and the 3A tournament runs through Wednesday. Glacier Peak High School is located at 7401-144th Place SE in Snohomish.

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