An extraordinary streak, nearly two decades in the making, passed another major mark as the Fayetteville-Manlius girls tennis team won yet another Section III Class A team title.
When the Hornets got past Auburn 6-1 in Monday’s rain-delayed semifinal, it marked the team’s 300th consecutive win. Not since 1993, when F-M lost to Liverpool, has the team fell to any local opponent, and that was before any of the current players were born.
That milestone was secured in F-M’s usual manner. Except for Meghan Muraco, who lost in first singles to Auburn star Claire Minnoe 6-0, 6-0, the Hornets swept every match in two sets.
Jessica Guarino and Kara Goldberg won their singles matches by equal 6-1, 6-1 scores over, respectively, Jenna Jarman and Lauryn Husby. In doubles, Laurin Goldberg and Alexandra Millimaci had a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Jessica Bolak and Kaitlin Hilwya.
Elsewhere in doubles, Allison Donnella and Katie Roche handled Kayla Schoonmaker and Julia Wagner 6-2, 6-3, while Adair Douglas and Caitlin Welker got past Erica Fedigan and Auryana Dechick 6-3, 6-1. Rhiannon Iorio and Carly Romano put together a 6-0, 6-3 win over Jenna Bruno and Heidi VanBuskirk.
This led to Tuesday’s sectional final against no. 2 seed Baldwinsville at Utica Parkway Courts, and once again the Hornets claimed the championship, beating the Bees by that same 6-1 margin.
Kara Goldberg tore through Taylor Slink 6-0, 6-0 and Douglas did the same to Shannon Hurley 6-1, 6-1 as B’ville’s Kahlei Reisinger defeated Meghan Muraco 6-1, 6-2 for her side’s lone point.
In a doubles showdown, Iorio and Romano took out the Bees’ singles stars, Amari Pollard and Taylor Ferrari, 6-0, 6-4, while Guarino also moved to doubles, helping Welker beat Maddie Fiello and Colleen Morgan 6-0, 7-5.
Allison Donella and Katie Roche handled Emma Funicello and Hannah Mautz 7-5, 6-1, while Milimmaci and Laurin Goldberg completed F-M’s doubles sweep with a 6-1, 6-1 romp over Alexandra Meanor and Katherine Schumacher.
As this went on, Christian Brothers Academy lay claim to the sectional Class B team title, putting together a 5-2 victory over New Hartford.
Amanda Ojugbeli earned a crucial point in third singles, fighting past Rachel Madden 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, while Olivia Messineo topped Angie Liu 6-0, 6-0 and Colleen Cavanaugh managed a 6-2, 6-0 win over Whitney Petralia.
Needing just one point in doubles, CBA got two of them. Sarah Roberts and Elizabeth Sasser beat Carisma Cherukuri and Emily Steates 6-4, 7-5, while Jenna Bartolotti and Shannon Fitch rallied past Emily Aquaviva and Madeline Locke 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.
In the other doubles matches, Shilpa Kamani and Becky Scullin led early, but fell to Claire Hotvedt and Alex Romano 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. The same thing happened when Evie Lopoo and Olivia Rotondo took a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 loss to Neesha Desai and Ooha Kambhampati.
Also on Monday, Bishop Grime lost the Class C semifinal to Beaver River 5-0, and the Beavers went on to edge Utica-Notre Dame 3-2 for the team title.
