TAMPA - Tampa Catholic senior Miranda Gutierrez couldn't have chosen a better Class 2A state championship match Wednesday. Not only did she beat Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons nemesis Joelle Schwenk, who eliminated Gutierrez in the quarterfinals last year, she made it look relatively easy.
Gutierrez defeated second-seed Schwenk, ranked seventh in Florida 18s, 6-4, 6-3 for the No. 1 team singles title one day after beating top seed Miami Gulliver Prep's Christyn Lucas, ranked third.
"It was a lot like yesterday," said Gutierrez, ranked No. 22. "I went out there and felt really confident and played my game.
"She's a fighter so I knew she could come back (in the second set)."
Schwenk never seemed in control of the match and instead took out her frustration against Tampa Catholic in the No. 1 doubles semifinal. Schwenk paired with Alexis Conill to defeat Gutierrez and Meaghan McKenna 6-1, 6-0.
Overall, it was an impressive run by the Crusaders, who finished in fourth place (six points) with only one state-ranked player. The usually dominant Cardinal Gibbons squad won the tournament with 16 points, and Gulliver Prep was second with 13. Jacksonville Bolles (10) finished ahead of Tampa Catholic.
"I'm ecstatic," Crusaders coach Lauren Walker said. "The other coaches doubted Tampa Catholic as a threat in this tournament, but the fact that we did as well as we did and Miranda won the championship is an accomplishment.
"We're not the team to beat, but we are the team to beat, you know?"
Gibbons' No. 2 doubles team of Kayla Schwenk and Julie Blackmore was too much for Tampa Catholic's Jennifer Renspi and Meghan Zavoina in the semifinals as the Redskins took the match 6-1, 6-1.
Today, Gutierrez will play individual singles winner Natalie Arcario of Orlando Bishop Moore for the overall singles title. Arcario breezed through the individual singles bracket, winning her final in two sets, and is also in today's individual doubles final.
Gutierrez beat Arcario, ranked No. 14, in a designated juniors tournament in January. The match will begin at 9 a.m. at Hillsborough Community College.
CLASS 4A: Gaither's Brianna Williams was able to get in her first match before the showers began in Altamonte Springs. However, her second, a doubles match with partner Annica Johansson, was interrupted in the first set by the rain.
Williams and Johansson will resume their individual doubles match today against Jessica Barron and Pia Dozo-Moreno from Miamia Palmetto.
After a bye in the first round, Williams defeated Venice's Alexandra Echtler 6-0, 6-0 in individuals singles play to advance to today's semifinal against Barron.
