RAPID CITY - The opening day of the state high school girls tennis tournament was all about getting as many players past the opening rounds as possible on an overcast, thoroughly chilling day that made keeping warm a challenge for player and spectator alike.

In six singles and three doubles flights on Thursday, all but five seeds advanced to today's quarterfinal rounds, which have been moved to indoor courts at Arrowhead Country Club and The Tennis Center of the Black Hills because of a forecast that calls for 60 percent chance of rain or even snow, and temperatures likely to not get out of the 30s.

Play in third-round championship and consolation doubles flights starts at 7:30 a.m., with the third-round singles championship play scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.

Sioux Falls O'Gorman, Rapid City Stevens, Sioux Falls Washington and Aberdeen Central all advanced unscathed through the opening rounds of championship singles.

Washington's only setback in championship doubles play came in Flight 1, where Kilee Kading and Sam Stanley bowed to Huron's Kelsi Foster and Shayna Peterson in the second round.

The only losses to seeded players came in Flight 4 singles, where Mitchell's Kendra Cersosimo downed eighth-seed Krista Schoenfeld, of Watertown, in the second round, and in Flights 5 and 6 singles, where a pair of Sioux Falls Lincoln players also went down to defeat.

Watertown's Macy Kludt went to a third-set tie-breaker to down fifth-seed Carli Hoffman, of Lincoln, and Rapid City Central's Kate Evans also needed a tie-breaker to spill Lincoln's Adrienne Green, a sixth seed.

In Flight 2 doubles sixth-seed Marin Plumb and Denali Raforth of St. Thomas More/Rapid City Christian, and No. 7 Molly Burke and Alexi Gusso of Pierre lost in the second round.

"It's been a long cold day and I think the girls are wearing down, but overall I think we've played pretty well," said Central coach Doug Lecy.

Sioux Falls O'Gorman coach Don Barnes said his Lady Knights, top-seeded in eight of nine flights, all came through Thursday in good shape, although today will see the level of competition increase.

"If you get into the quarterfinals, you kind of get to the point where there's no place to hide anymore. You're going to get into some pretty quality matches," Barnes said.

"We're in position. That's all we can do," he added.

Ditto that for Stevens. "We're right we need to be," echoed Raider coach Jason Olson.

"If O'Gorman gets knocked off, that's great, but I don't think that's going to happen, because they're pretty darn tough," Olson said.

Stevens' Morgan Paluch, fourth-seeded in Flight 2, said she revels in cool conditions. "It's cold, but I think I play better in cold than in hot weather. I have no idea why," she said.

Paluch will face Molly Siegenthaler of Sioux Falls Roosevelt in today's quarterfinals.

"I lost to her in the GDC (Greater Dakota Conference) match, but I'm not too worried. I'll just go out and play my best," Paluch said.

St. Thomas More/Rapid City Christian advanced two players to today's singles quarterfinals, Aisling Gould in Flight 1 singles and Denali Raforth in Flight 6.

"It was a good day. I think the key for me today was just staying consistent and working with the surrounding conditions, which were super-cold," Gould said.

"In my second-round match I was cold and not able to move that well, not as agile. Then I warmed up and my serves were on and I played really great," she said.

"We're going to be playing inside, so weather won't be a factor. All the girls play inside, so that's a home court advantage for us," said Cavalier coach Mary Helen Flanery.

In spite of the cold, the outdoor courts at Sioux Park, Memorial Park and North Middle School remained dry and play continued well past Thursday's schedule, particularly in the consolation rounds which would likely be eliminated if the tournament is forced to be completed on a limited number of indoor courts.

"If we go inside a lot of matches get eliminated and I think everyone knows that. We want players to get knocked out on the court, not by the weather," Olson said.

Barnes said players need more time to stretch before matches in chilled conditions.

"When it's this cold, it's hard to get real loose. No doubt about it," Barnes said. "And I don't think you see the best tennis either."

"We don't complain. It's the same for everybody. We can't control these circumstances, so you just have to make do," said Olson.