Shannon Herndon of Watauga High, who was a No.2 seed at the Western Regional last weekend in Charlotte and reached the State quarter-finals on Friday in Raleigh, has been named the Player of the Year in the Northwestern 3A/4A Conference.

In all, the Pioneers had four players on the NW3A/4A All-Conference team. Herndon, undefeated in conference play, was joined on the all-conference team by Hannah Petrersen, Katelin Fox and Meredith Smith.

Petersen and Fox played doubles at the Western Regional last weekend, but were eliminated on the first day of competition. Herndon made it to the championship match, but lost to three-time state champion Grace Baker of Myers Park. Smith, a No.4 seed at regionals, lost to Baker in the semifinals and was defeated by Jessica Perez of Myers Park in the third-place match.

The WHS tennis team also reached the second round of the state-dual team playoffs and was 15-2. The Pioneers dropped a 5-4 decision to South Mecklenburg last Tuesday in second-round play.