The cramps crept up on Orest Los in the second set.
After a 6-3 win in the first set of the 6A-West Conference boys singles tennis championship, Los was in the lead and looking to take the second set against Greenwood's David "Woody" Woodring for the title.
The aforementioned cramps started to set in though and Woodring rallied to take a 6-4 victory in the second set to force a third and decisive set.
Los -- after powering down mustard packets, protein water and bananas -- fought through the cramps and a medical timeout to win the third set 7-5 and earn the 6A-West Conference title at Rebsamen Park in Little Rock.
"(The cramps) got really bad in the second set, but I think just my willingness to fight and never give up was something that helped me perform really good in that match," Los said. "I think that in the third set I adjusted my strategy a little bit to help me win it, even though I had to go through the challenges, cramps and everything."
Los finished 3-0 in the tournament. He received a bye in the first round and then defeated Blaine Martin of Texarkana 6-0, 6-0 on Monday.
Los defeated Greenwood's Kenny Sweeny 6-0, 6-0 on Tuesday morning before defeating Woodring in the championship round.
"The championship match was a marathon, and he had to show some mental toughness and fight through the cramps, and he did that," said Siloam Springs tennis coach Scott Wright. "Obviously he was taking down mustard packs and protein water and everything else he had to do to get his muscles to relax a little bit. But he fought through it, kept fighting through the match and he came out victorious."
Siloam Springs and Greenwood each finished with eight team points and tied as 6A-West Conference runner-up overall behind Benton, which won the team title with nine points.
Siloam Springs' boys doubles team of Caio Freitas and Joshua Bullington lost Tuesday morning to Matthew Mobley and Patrick Cook of Texarkana with a state tournament berth on the line.
Los now moves on to the Class 6A State Tournament, which begins Monday at Burns Park in North Little Rock. Los is the No. 1 seed from the 6A-West and will receive a bye in the first round.
"Obviously that will help him not having to play a first round match," Wright said. "Then he'll just have to come out in the quarterfinals in the second round and be ready to go. Regarldess of who it is, we're going to expect a tough match and we'd think nothing less in the state tournament."
Los is 14-5 on the season in singles matches and 54-13 in his career. He was 19-3 as a junior and 21-5 as a sophomore.
Los advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals last year where he lost to Woodring 2-1 (6-7, 7-6, 6-3), but this season he has not been defeated by a Class 6A player.
Dinger, Headrick advance to state
Siloam Springs senior girls players Caroline Dinger and Averie Headrick also qualified for the Class 6A state tournament after winning their first two matches in the 6A-West Conference Tournament on Monday. Dinger and Headrick were defeated in the semifinals on Tuesday by eventual conference champion duo of Amy Claire Mugno and Reese Chesshir of Texarkana 6-0, 6-3.
Dinger and Headrick lost the third place game to Greenwood's Abigail Woodring and Maddie Pelt 6-2, 6-3.
"They started sluggish in the semifinal match, but I thought they played well in the second set," Wright said. "And then they played well in the second match, just came up a few shots short here and there in a couple of games or they might have been right in there in that third place match."
Dinger and Headrick are the first Siloam Springs girls players to qualify for the state tournament since 2013. They are 9-9 overall as a doubles team this year.
"They're going to go in there and give it their best effort," Wright said. "One thing about it, there's absolutely no pressure on Caroline and Averie. They've accomplished their goal. Now they can just go in and relax and play tennis and play loose and free, which I think will help them when they step on the court. They'll get the No. 5 seed out of the East as they're going to be the No. 4 seed out of the West."
Sports on 10/15/2017