Emily Ruckno’s quest for a state singles championship came up just short Tuesday afternoon.
The Hilton Head Island High School junior stormed past Conway’s Anna Claire Roof in the SCHSL Class 4A/5A girls’ tennis semifinals, but she fell to Socastee’s Brooke Rodgers in the championship match at the Florence Tennis Center to earn a runner-up finish and the Coach’s Sportsmanship Award.
Ruckno started her day with a stellar showing against Roof, defeating the freshman standout 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the state final. But the Seahawk star was outdone by a tremendous performance from Rodgers, dropping a 6-2, 6-3 decision to close out the tournament.
It was the second straight runner-up finish for Ruckno, who lost to Lucy Beckham’s Piper Charney 6-1, 6-3 in the 2020 title match. Charney took this year’s tournament off after her Bengals captured their second consecutive state championship Saturday over A.C. Flora.
Ruckno helped the Seahawks win a state title in 2019, and has earned a top-three finish in each of her last three state singles appearances, claiming All-State honors each year.
By Wes Kerr
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