True North, a new school with no seniors yet, is hoping to make history at state tennis

True North – a new school with no seniors yet – advanced on Monday in the Class 1A state quarterfinal round in both the boys’ and girls’ state tennis tournaments at Red Bug Lake Park in Altamonte Springs.

St. Thomas Aquinas also advanced as its girls blitzed Tallahassee Leon, 6-0, in Class 3A.

In the 3A boys’ tournament, Miami’s TERRA lost 4-3 to Niceville.

True North, located in the South Miami area, won 4-0 in its boys’ quarterfinal match over Pensacola Catholic. True North’s girls beat Pensacola Catholic, 4-1.

“We’re excited,” said True North athletic director Shawn Ramirez, who hired both tennis coaches, Ricky Guevara for the boys and Andre Chow for the girls.

In the boys’ win, True North got a win at No. 1 doubles as junior Dylan Chang and sophomore Brennon Chow prevailed, 4-6, 6-2, retired. In No. 2 doubles, True North eighth-grader Zander Guevara and eighth-grader Caleb Chow won 6-0, 6-0. Guevara is the son of the boys’ coach. Brennon and Caleb Chow are brothers. Chang and the Chow brothers are also the girls’ coach’s nephews.

In No 1 singles, Chang won, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5). In No. 4 singles, True North eighth-grader Gabriel Valdes won by walkover due to a fractured ankle suffered by a Pensacola Catholic player.

True North’s girls’ singles winners were junior Maria Antonova (6-0, 6-0) and freshman Yarlin Mendoza (6-2, 6-2). True North also got doubles wins from junior Stephanie Hylton and freshman Daniela Chica (6-4, 6-1); and Antonova and Mendoza (6-0, 6-1).

“Our girls played great,” coach Chow said. “Winning both doubles matches made it easier to close it out in singles.”

Next up for True North in both the boys and girls tournaments are matchups against Boca Raton’s Saint Andrew’s, the reigning state champion in both genders.

“I think it will come down to the doubles,” Ricky Guevara said. “It’s going to take a complete effort by our team to win, but we are confident.”

THIS AND THAT

▪ Despite their loss in the team head-to-head competition in 3A, TERRA’s top singles player, Carlos Ramirez, advanced to the finals as an individual in the team bracket after winning his two matches. Ramirez and his doubles partner, Jonathan Claro, also advanced to the finals in doubles after winning their two matches.

▪ Riviera Prep’s doubles duo of eighth-grader Sasha Kilgour and junior Milagros Lardiez defeated Melbourne West Shore’s Alexandra Wright and Bianka Albert, 6-1, 6-2.

Kilgour and Lardiez advanced to Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

“They played well,” Riviera Prep coach Jane Foreman said of her doubles team. “They won in convincing fashion. I’m expecting them to win.”

▪ Palmer Trinity senior Francesca Salvato won both her matches on Monday to advance to the individual girls’ singles championship round in Class 1A. Salvato, a College of Charleston signee, beat Clearwater Central Catholic’s Montserrat Sierra 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) before blanking Tallahassee Florida High’s Sofia Brooks 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals. She will face Boca Raton Grandview Prep’s Maddy McNeil in the final on Tuesday.

▪ TERRA’s girls’ doubles team of Brooke Dugarte and Nicole Giordano advanced to the semifinals of the Class 3A girls’ doubles division with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Lecanto’s duo of Mirabelle Tahiri and Nandini Karanam.

▪ Miami Country Day’s boys’ doubles team of Lucas Chemla and Luca Donayre also advanced to the individual semifinals in Class 1A after a third-set tiebreaker win, 5-7, 7-5, 10-6 over Clearwater Calvary Christian’s Matthew Hewitt and Jayden Rodriguez.

▪ St. Thomas Aquinas’ Blake Edwards advanced to the Class 3A boys’ individual singles semifinals after a 6-3, 5-7, 10-3 win over New Port Richey Mitchell’s Leo Alexeyev on Monday.

▪ The 2A and 4A tournaments will start on Wednesday with the state quarterfinals, also at Red Bug Lake Park.

In the Class 4A boys’ tournament, Cypress Bay challenges Sanford Seminole; and Palmetto faces Spruce Creek.

In the Class 4A girls’ competition, Doral Academy – a reigning state champion in 3A -- plays Creekside; and Stoneman Douglas faces Lake Mary.

In the 2A boys’ tournament, MAST will play Bay; and Pine Crest takes on Jacksonville Bolles.

In the 2A girls’ competition, Gulliver faces South Walton; and Pine Crest again challenges Jacksonville Bolles.

Pine Crest is the reigning state champ in 2A boys and 2A girls.