Boonsboro’s Hunter Liao headlines Washington County’s public school tennis champions

The greatest high school tennis career in Washington County history has a little more than two weeks left.

“It’s just now hitting me,” said Boonsboro senior Hunter Liao. “I’m enjoying it a lot. I’ll try to make some memorable moments.”

Liao is one of just three players in Maryland history to win three MPSSAA boys singles state championships. This year’s state finals are scheduled for May 24, and Liao can become the first four-time boys singles state titlist.

“It’s a little pressure, but pressure is a privilege,” said Liao. “Hopefully I can do it.”

On May 8 during the Washington County Public Schools tournament at South Hagerstown, Liao won his fourth county title (including two in mixed doubles), defeating Clear Spring’s Brady Ernst 6-0, 6-0 in the boys singles final.

Liao is 11-0 in singles matches this year and 62-0 in his high school career.

“I’ve focused a lot on developing my weapons, my serve and forehand, and little footwork patterns,” Liao said. “Every aspect can make a big difference.”

Liao helped the Warriors earn a share of the county boys team title with Clear Spring, as the Warriors and Blazers tied with 22 points each. North Hagerstown finished third with 18 points.

Boonsboro won the girls title outright with 19 points, one ahead of South Hagerstown and four ahead of Smithsburg.

“It’s an awesome feeling, being a senior and a mentor,” said Liao. “It’s about the team atmosphere, being a leader and a role model for the younger kids and helping them develop their games to make Boonsboro tennis better.”

Last week, Liao committed to play Division III college tennis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a decision heavily influenced by academics. He plans to major in computational neuroscience.

“I talked to a wide range of schools, including the Naval Academy, Ivy League schools and Illinois,” said Liao. “I wanted somewhere with a really good tennis atmosphere and really good academics. It came down to MIT and Harvard. MIT was the perfect blend.”

Washington County track & field: North boys, Smithsburg girls continue title reigns

Washington County’s other champions included:

Atlee Hilliard, Smithsburg, girls singles

Hilliard, a senior, improved to 13-1 this season and won her first county title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Williamsport’s Elizabeth Warren (11-6).

“I think I was playing really well,” Hilliard said. “I’ve gotten a lot more power on my shots, gotten stronger and faster, and I have more confidence.”

Hilliard won the 3A West Region I title and reached the state final for South Hagerstown a year ago.

Her goals for regions and states this year?

“Winning,” she said.

Blake Crampton and Wyatt Albowicz, Clear Spring, boys doubles

Crampton and Albowicz, who are both juniors, improved to 20-0 this season with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over North Hagerstown’s Zander Hine and Philip Naberhaus (9-6).

“We’ve been playing together for three years now,” said Albowicz. “We just stay focused and work hard. We’re both good, and we play smart tennis.”

“We knew we could do it,” added Crampton. “We just had to execute, and we did. Our mental game has gotten better. We used to get mad, but now we stay composed.”

Larissa Blair and Breann Reed, Boonsboro, girls doubles

Blair and Reed, who are both seniors, improved to 12-0 this season with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over South Hagerstown’s Isi McCarty and Kaylee Murphy (16-2) in the final, completing a 4-0 run through the bracket.

Blair is 18-1 in doubles matches this season. She won the 1A West Region II title and placed third at states with then-senior Saumya Padha last year. Reed went 11-0 last year, mostly at second doubles.

“She’s an experienced player, so I feel like I can be more aggressive,” said Blair. “I’m more of a baseline players and we both have aggressive serves.”

“I’m good at reading where the ball is going,” added Reed. “I have a lot of confidence in (Blair). “I know when I can’t get to a ball, she’s there to back me up.”

Blake Marquis and Sam Bailey, Boonsboro, mixed doubles

Marquis and Bailey, both juniors who mostly played singles in the regular season, claimed the mixed doubles championship with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over South Hagerstown’s Sean Touhey and Lindsay Rasco.

“We really locked in. We found our opponents’ weaknesses and attacked them,” said Marquis. “I just hit the ball as hard as I can and hope it goes in.”

“We have a lot of aggressiveness and a lot of communication,” added Bailey. “He’s better at the net and super aggressive. I know he can put away a lot of points, and I’m behind him when needed.”

Third-place results

• Boys singles: Jake Miller (Williamsport) d. Evan Troxell (South Hagerstown), 6-4, 7-5.
• Girls singles: Chloe Fisher (Smithsburg) d. Azaniya Genda (South Hagerstown), 6-1, 6-2.
• Boys doubles: Evan Darr and Jack Hilker (North Hagerstown) d. Noah Tedards and Bassil Shalaby (Boonsboro), 6-4, 7-5.
• Girls doubles: Sophie Lesher and Maddi Haupt (Clear Spring) d. Jillian Hartman and Lauren Hobbs (North Hagerstown), 6-1, 6-0.
• Mixed doubles: Gabe Cassesa and Eden Shupp (North Hagerstown) d. Dalton Albowicz and Kaisy Custer (Clear Spring), 6-4, 6-2.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Who won 2025 Washington County Public Schools tennis tournament titles?