Local tennis teams win region titles. State tournament in 2A & 4A begins on Wednesday
The FHSAA State Tennis Tournament for 2A and 4A begins Wednesday with some quality competitors from the area.
In 4A, Cypress Bay boys, Douglas girls, Palmetto boys and Doral Academy girls won regionals.
Doral Academy girls defeated Palmetto 5-0 to win a 4A region championship.
No.1 Valeria Ray d. Ameia Sorey 6-2, 7-6 (7-3); No. 2 Estefania Gonzalez d. Jett Coetzee 6-3, 6-0; No.3 Alba Martinez d. Brooke Revuelta 7-5, 6-0; No.4 Valeria Centeno d. Mia Sorrentino 6-3, 6-1; No.5 Brenda Yoris d. Sofia Gutierrez 6-2, 6-1.
The Firebirds are on fire in girls’ tennis. With Coach Justin Puppo, they have amassed five region titles and are going for their fourth consecutive state championships. They are ranked No.1 nationally by Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) and won the national title in 2019. They are also riding a 50-match win streak.
On the boys’ side, it was the reverse. Palmetto defeated Doral Academy 4-1 for the region title.
No.1 Sebastian Munoz (PLM) d. Greyson Williams 6-4, 6-2; No.2 Alessandro Munoz (PLM) d. Facundo Olmedo 6-4, 6-1; No.3 Ezequiel De la Plaza (DOR) d. Cason Campbell 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; No.4 Matteo Sama (PLM) d. Peyten Williams 6-1, 4-6, 7-5; No.5 Adriano Guarino (PLM) d. Andres Rodriguez 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
Palmetto boys won state in 2018 and 2019. The Panthers are coached by Kelly Gibson.
Douglas girls defeated Cypress Bay 4-0 for a 4A region championship. Cypress Bay boys did the same to Douglas, winning 4-0.
The Douglas girls are vying for their first state team title. Since being coached by Amy Pena in 2017, the Eagles have won four region titles, meaning four state berths. During that span, they’ve reached the state semifinals three times.
In the latest region final, No.1 Tania Dumke won 6-3, 6-3; No.2 Savita Bagirathan won 6-2, 6-1; No.3 Ava Sadaoui won 6-3, 6-0; No.4 Maria Anzures won 6-1, 6-1; No.5 Heidi Dumke didn’t finish because the team already clinched the region title.
The Cypress Bay boys have won five state team titles, the last in 2016. The Lightning were runners-up three times and captured 11 region titles.
They are No.1 Fabian Rosales; No.2 Jacobo Forero; No.3 Sebastian Mendoza; No.4 Kevin Maehlmann; No.5 Victor Yegres The team is coached by Marina Andreoni Stewart.
The Class 4A state tennis tournament is at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.
2A TENNIS
Pine Crest swept regionals.
In a nail-biting battle, the Panthers girls won their fourth region championship, edging American Heritage-Delray 4-3.
No.1 Michaela Landry (PC) d. Helen Hendricks 6-4, 4-6, 10-8; No.2 Bridget Chalich (PC) d. Laura Buchs 6-2, 6-3; No.3 Natasha Jerkunica (PC) d. Kristina Despotali 6-4, 6-1; No.4 Chloe Barreto-Massad (AH) d. Kartin Gulia-Janovskaia 6-3, 6-2; No.5 Nee Poonjola (AH) d. Maya Heyman 6-1, 6-3.
Doubles: No.1 Helen Hendricks/ Laura Buchs (AH) d. Michaela Landry/Bridget Chalich 0-6, 6-2, 10-8; No.2 Natasha Jerkunica/ Katrin Gulia-Janovskaia (PC) d. Kristina Despotali/Laura Buchs 6-3, 4-6, 10-6.
The Panthers boys also matched up against American Heritage-Delray for the region title but had an easier go at it, winning 4-1.
No.1 George Kosseifi (AH) d. Kenneth Chan 6-4, 4-6, 10-3; No.2 Zaid Abuhamda (PC) d. Ajinkya Karnotaki 6-3, 6-0; No.3 Krisztian Meszaors (PC) d. Ryan Roo 6-1, 6-1; No.4 Jonathan Fromkin (PC) d. Geoff Kosseifi 6-1, 7-5; No.5 Jason Berinstein (PC) d. Garrett Cauley 6-2, 6-2.
Pine Crest boys won their fourth region final, too. The Panthers girls’ and boys’ teams have celebrated two state titles apiece.
Kasey Hamaway leads the school’s tennis program, and the coach is Corey Marsh.
The Gulliver Prep girls won a 2A region title, too.
The Raiders girls defeated LaSalle 5-0 in the region final
No.1 Sophia Varabyeva won 6-1, 6-0; No.2 Valentina Rossi won 6-0, 6-0; No.3 Mia Suarez won 6-0, 6-0; No.4 Lia Fletcher won 6-1, 6-0; No.5 Tori Hagenlocker won by default.
The Gulliver girls’ tennis program, under the direction of Coach Kelly Mulligan, has won eight state titles with four runner-up finishes and 13 region titles.
She also coached the boys’ team to 10 state titles and three runner-up placings.
The MAST boys’ team ended Gulliver Prep’s run for another region title. The Sharks edged Gulliver Prep 4-3 in the region final.
No.1 Pierce Garbett (GP) won 7-5, 6-3; No.2 Sebastian Felice (M) won 4-6, 6-3, 11-9; No.3 Alessandro Sanchez (M) won 6-0, 4-6, 10-6; No.4 Oliver Lee (GP) won 6-4, 6-4; No.5 Nico Marinelli (GP) won 6-1, 7-5.
Doubles: No.1 Nico Rebolledo/Sebastian Felice (M) won 1-6, 7-6, 10-5; No.2 Alessandro Sanchez/ Chris Zaki (M) won 6-1, 6-1.
The Class 2A state tennis tournament is at Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry and Sylvan Lake Park in Sanford.
1A & 3A TENNIS
On Monday, the 1A and 3A state tournaments began.
True North, a young program in its first year under the FHSAA banner, won 1A region titles in girls and boys to advance both to state.
This marks the school’s first team(s) to reach state in any sport.
The Titans girls defeated Riviera Prep 4-1 for the region championship.
No.1 Daniela Chica (Fr) won 1-6, 6-3, 10-6; No.2 Stephanie Hylton (Jr) won 6-3, 1-6, 10-5; No.3 Maria Antonova (Jr) won 6-2, 6-0; No.4 Yarlin Mendoza (Fr) won 6-1, 6-1; No.5 Catalina Chow (6th) lost 6-1, 6-0.
The coach is Andre Chow of Chow Tennis Academy.
The Titans boys edged Ransom Everglades 4-3 for the region title.
No.1 Dylan Chang (Jr) won 6-2, 6-3; No.2 Brennon Chow (So) won 6-2, 6-1; No.3 Caleb Chow (8th) won 6-3, 6-4; No.4 Gabe Valdes (8th) lost 6-0, 7-5; No.5 Zander Guevara (8th) lost 6-0, 6-2. Doubles: No.1 Dylan and Brennon clinched the region title, winning 6-3, 6-2.
The boys’ team, coached by Ricky Guevara, remains undefeated.
In 3A region finals, St. Thomas Aquinas girls defeated TERRA 5-0, while TERRA boys defeated St. Thomas Aquinas 4-1.
Baseball
Northwestern 8, Miami Beach 7: Baseball and football standout Toddrick Brewton had five RBI for the winning Bulls.
Trailing by three in the seventh, senior reliever Jonathan Gaynor recorded two strikeouts and got a groundout to keep the Hi-Tides in the game. Miami Beach rallied in the bottom of the inning but came up one run short.
Hitting well for the 9-9 Hi-Tides were Cedrick Jenkins (2 hits, 1 RBI, 2 runs); Allessandro Villegas (1 hit); Alex Allocco (2 hits); Lucas Tirado (1 hit); Jean Aleu (2 hits).
Sophomore CF Jacob Gaynor did well on offense and defense.
McArthur 10, Krop 0: McA: WP Devin Grazzal (4-3) 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 K; Tyler Smith 3-3, 2 R, 3 RBI; Devin Grazzal 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Justin Dukes 2-2, 3 R, 2 SB. Krop: Michael Daniels 1-2, 3B. Krop (6-13), McA (11-8).
Softball
Braddock 14, Miami Beach 4: Nathalia Suarez 3-3, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI; Daniela Pavon 3-3, 4 SB. BRD (8-8-1).
St. Thomas Aquinas 5, Monarch 1: WP Isabel Cohen CG, 6 K; Christina Woods 2 2B, RBI; Raylee Leiman 2-4, RBI; Logan Zinkler 2-3, 2 RBI; Monarch Foster 3-3, RBI. StA (9-11).
Boys’ volleyball
Ransom Everglades d. Coral Gables three games to none: The Raiders finished the regular season 10-8. Senior De’vonte Payton (Fort Valley State volleyball signee) had 13 kills.
Spring All-County Nominations
Athletic directors were emailed All-County nomination forms to share with their coaches of spring sports in Broward and Miami Dade counties. Deadline and return email address are on the form. Questions, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
Submit sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have varsity results, top performers and stats for this column, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
