GREENWOOD VILLAGE | For the first time since 2016, Eaglecrest will be represented when the Class 5A girls tennis individual state tournament is contested.

Sophomore Natali Marshall lost to Cherry Creek’s Anika Sharma 6-2, 6-0 in the 5A Region 1 No. 1 singles championship match Thursday morning, but making the final got Marshall into the state tournament nonetheless.

Marshall’s three-set win over Chatfield’s Cameron Sternberg in Wednesday’s semifinals meant that Marshall did not have to face a playback for a state berth when Sternberg defeated Mountain Vista’s Lexi Strassner in the third-place match.

Marshall advances into the field for the 5A individual state tournament, which is scheduled for May 9-11 at City Park in Denver. She became the first Raptors’ first state qualifier since the No. 1 doubles team of Maya Johnson and Kaitlin Marler in 2016. In terms of singles, Eaglecrest’s last representation came from Renee Christopher, who made the No. 1 bracket in 2012 and 2014.

Coach Dave Palmer’s Eaglecrest team also had placing matches for junior No. 3 singles player Caroline Aquino as well as the No. 4 doubles team of junior Fabiana Acosta-Rojas and sophomore Saba Dewo.

Acosta-Rojas and Dewo lost a three-set match to a team from Broomfield with third-place on the line and could have challenged finals loser Mountain Vista in a playback had they defeated Broomfield. Aquino lost in straight sets to place fourth.

The previous day, Eaglecrest’s No. 2 doubles team of seniors Cyneathia Brooker and Brianna Rea finished in the fourth place.