CENTRAL NEW YORK – Though it may have provided for an unusual conclusion, the Skaneateles girls tennis team had every reason to feel proud.
The Lakers managed to have both of its top singles players reach the finals of last week’s Section III Division III tournament before Eva DeJesus got past teammate Addison Zieler for the title.
From the top seed, DeJesus rolled through her first three matches without dropping a set, easily topping Westhill’s Cadence Ramsing before beating two Christian Brothers Academy players, Claire Schaefer and Rowan Doyle.
Meanwhlie, Zieler was the no. 7 seed and, after beating Holly Fuller (General Brown) upended the no. 2 seed, Cazenovia’s Leah Bell, 7-5, 6-3 before a semifinal where she rallied past Westhill’s Julia Flegel 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Having worked so hard to get to the final, Zieler could not keep up with DeJesus, who prevailed 6-2, 6-1, though both of them, along with Flegel, advanced to this week’s sectional state qualifying tournament at Drumlins.
Westhill would also place Phoebe Gumaer and Samantha Burkett in the state qualifier through their run to the doubles semifinals, clinched when they beat Cazenovia’s Ava Galton and Lila Campagna 6-1, 6-4 before they lost in the semifinal round to CBA’s Julie Zdep and Maddie Evans in three sets 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
Elsewhere for the Warriors, Tatum Bagnell and Emily Balduzzi lost in the quarterfinals to Cazenovia’s Katie Williams and Claire Vaccaro 6-4, 6-2, while Skaneateles had just one doubles team on hand, Madelyn Vance and Livia Lovenguth taking an opening-round defeat..
Marcellus had its best showing in Division III doubles, where Abby Finn and Zofia Piorkowski, the no. 5 seed, won over CBA’s Monica Fallon and Kristina Riccelli 6-4, 7-5 before a tight quarterfinal where they lost in three sets to another CBA duo as Audrey Schaefer and Maddie Kanervko rallied to prevail 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Two other Mustangs teams lost in the round of 16, with Molly Moses and Caitlin Shannon falling to Williams and Vaccaro in straight sets as Adeline Kinsey and Katie Devereaux took a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 defeat to Holland Patent’s Maura Matthews and Miranda Millick.
For the Mustangs in Division III singles, Shaelyn Kelly survive a 10-9 (9-7 tiebreak) opening match with Lowville’s Phoebe Jennings before falling in the next round 6-2, 6-2 to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill’s Bailey Faldzinski as Xian Angiotti and Sofia Tufenkjian both lost in the first round. Skaneateles’ Katie Danforth also lost in the opening round.
Up in Division I, West Genesee had, in doubles, Sophia Lawrence and Keira Vrabel reach the quarterfinals, only to take a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Baldwinsville’s top-seeded duo of Elaina Nesbitt and Sonia Nadzan, who went on to the title.
Angelna Allen and Calina Olson dropped an epic round-of-16 match to Fayetteville-Manlius’ Caitlyn McLain and Julia Kim 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11-9), with Eve Mauro and Ava Amodio eliminated in the same round.
Meanwhile, in singles the Wildcats’ Helena Allen, the no. 4 seed, got to the quarterfinals before a 6-4, 6-0 defeat to Watertown’s Samantha Booth as Sarah Domin fell to Ashlyn Feneck (Auburn) and Kailyn Drury did the same to F-M’s Sonia LaHaye.
