True North’s boys’ and girls’ tennis teams sweep Class 1A state championships

When the phone rang, Andre Chow didn’t bother to say hello.

The True North Titans boys’ tennis team had just won its first state title, and Chow could not conceal his excitement.

“We did it!” said Chow, who – along with Wilson Usina – coaches True North’s boys’ and girls’ tennis players. “We did it, sir! It took us four years, but we did it!”

Indeed, True North defeated Boca Raton’s St. Andrew’s, 4-1, on Tuesday, winning the Class 1A state title at Red Bug Lake Park in Altamonte Springs.

True North’s girls’ team also won a state title on Tuesday; its third in a row.

As for the True North boys, they ended St. Andrews’ impressive streak of five straight state titles.

All five Titans starters are juniors, and all of them were on True North’s team as either eighth-graders or freshmen.

In those early years, they took some lumps.

This year, though, True North handed out the punishment with No. 1 singles player Gabriel Valdes, followed by Caleb Chow, who is the coach’s nephew; Krishang Badwal; Thomas Rheault; and Zander Guevara.

“Four years ago, we were mostly a young team with lots of stuff to work on,” Caleb Chow said, “but we have evolved.”

As an eighth-grader, Chow blew two set points in a playoff loss to St. Andrew’s.

Since then, his serve has improved greatly, giving Chow the ability to close out matches.

The Titans also closed out St. Andrew’s, after losing to that dynasty team in each of the past three seasons.

“It feels great to be on the opposite side,” Caleb Chow said.

Meanwhile, True North’s girls’ team beat Boca Raton Grandview Prep, 4-0, to take the top step on the podium once again.

“Our girls stayed focused,” Andre Chow said. “They were locked in, man.”

True North’s girls’ team was led by a pair of seniors: Daniela Chica, who has signed with Rice University; and Alba Martinez, who is going to Air Force.

The other starters are sophomores Isabella Porto and Andrea Palacios and freshman Luciana Chica, who is Daniela’s sister.

“It’s always great winning state,” Daniela Chica said. “Even just thinking about it right now, it gives me goosebumps.”

Chica and Alba Martinez won the 1A doubles championship on Wednesday, beating Divine Savior senior Lauren Kettlewell and Anabella Parente, 6-3, 3-6 (11-9).

Kettlewell won the Class 1A singles championship on Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Maria Navarro of The Benjamin School.

THIS AND THAT

Also in Altamonte Springs on Tuesday, the St. Thomas Aquinas girls’ and boys’ teams lost in the Class 3A state semifinals.

The girls, who had won state the previous three years, fell, 4-2, to Jensen Beach.

The boys, who had finished second at state the past three years, lost, 4-1, to Tallahassee Chiles.

Junior Conor Reeser served as the No. 1 singles player for the Aquinas boys.

Senior Sophia Pacheco, who will play college tennis next season at Lafayette, is Aquinas’ No. 1 singles player.

Aquinas coach Carol Deopsomer gave special praise to her No. 5 singles player on the girls’ team, Anna Pitino, who went 13-1 this season, including wins in the state quarterfinals and state semifinals.

“I’m really proud of her,” Deopsomer said. “I’m proud of the whole program. We had a great year.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM.