BROOKSVILLE - Sure, conditioning played a part. But Central freshman Jeanette McDonald had a stronger source of motivation to come from behind against Winter Park Lake Howell's Karla Mendoza in Friday's Class 3A, Region 3 match.
"I need to do this if I want to win this for the team," McDonald said.
Despite dropping a set for the first time this season, McDonald outlasted Mendoza 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles to clinch Central's second regional championship in four seasons, 4-1.
The Bears advanced to the state tournament Wednesday and Thursday at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs without having to play a doubles match.
McDonald (singles and doubles) and senior Shelane Etchison (doubles) secured individual berths by winning district championships on Tuesday, but Central was determined to fulfill its preseason goal of advancing as a team.
What seemed a lofty goal on the first day of practice became reality after McDonald, ranked 92nd in the state in girls' 16s by the United States Tennis Association, beat Mendoza, who is ranked 84th in girls' 18s.
"I am really glad, because this is my first year and I'm just glad we can all go as a team " said McDonald, who improved to 20-0. "It's one thing to go by yourself, and it's another to have all your friends there with you."
Each player earned her way, as No. 3 Irene Cho, No. 4 Shaena Keefe and No. 5 Stephanie D'Anna joined McDonald in winning singles matches. Central improved to 17-1 in dual matches, its only loss coming against a Lecanto squad it beat earlier in the season.
"We've said it all along, "We're a team,"' Central coach Joe Nicolai said, "and Stephanie D'Anna's points at No. 5 mean as much as Jeanette's mean at 1."
Saddlebrook wins 7-0
WESLEY CHAPEL - Someone tell Saddlebrook Prep the postseason has started.
The Spartans ripped through the Class A, Region 4 match 7-0 over All Saints Academy like it was just another match at the Saddlebrook Resort.
No. 1 Alina Sullivan blanked Whitney Anders 6-0, 6-0. The Spartans would keep the Saints scoreless in the top three singles and both doubles matches.
Coach Matt Holsopple said his team didn't let the competition, or lack thereof, affect its focus.
"It's still about coming in with a winning attitude, coming in and taking care of business," he said.
Christy Liles won No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-0, as did No. 3 Lindsay Gray. Sullivan and Liles won No. 1 doubles 8-0, and so did the No. 2 doubles pairing of Gray and Kortney Stark.
The only points Saddlebrook allowed was at the No. 4 spot, which Yui Shimizu won 6-1, 6-0 and Stark's 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 5.
The Class A state meet is Tuesday-Thursday in Tallahassee.
- JAMAL THALJI
Wesley Chapel falls 7-0
WESLEY CHAPEL - The Wildcats' hopes of advancing to the state tournament were quickly dashed by Orlando Bishop Moore, but a 7-0 loss gave a young Wesley Chapel team a taste of the challenge of postseason play.
"It's a great learning experience, because that's a team that's extremely talented," Wildcats coach Mark Kopp said.
The Wildcats, who won their second district title in three years on Tuesday, lost 6-1 or 6-0 in all singles matches. Wesley Chapel freshman Yumi Hasegawa, unbeaten in 11 matches this season, lost 6-1, 6-1 to senior Natalie Arcario, who lost in the state championship finals in singles last season.
Wesley Chapel played without No. 2 singles player Sami Wloch, who was at a band competition. The Wildcats' only seniors are Lindsay Lucado, who took her first loss of the season at No. 5 singles, and Meagan Edwards, who filled in for Wloch.
Bishop Moore is one of eight teams that will advance to the Class 2A state tournament, which begins Tuesday at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa.
Hasegawa will compete in the state tournament as her district's singles champion. She also won the district doubles crown with junior Kumiko Fujioka. Hasegawa and Fujioka had their hands full Friday in a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Bishop Moore's Arcario and Sarah Harkins, who reached the state individual doubles finals last season.
- ANTHONY GAGLIANO
Lecanto loses patience
LECANTO - In the eyes of Orange Park Fleming Island coach Joyce Tabor, her squad isn't as talented as Lecanto. Because of that, she figured the only shot the Eagles had of winning would be to play a game of patience.
"We couldn't beat them at their game," Tabor said.
So the Eagles made Lecanto play theirs.
With Tabor's players spending much of the day at the baseline hitting lob after lob after lob, the Panthers cracked just enough to allow Fleming Island to escape with a 4-3 victory. The five-hour match was clinched when the No. 1 doubles team of Paige Davis and Lisa Robbins defeated Shreya Rao and Catherine O'Brian 6-4, 6-3.
"They seemed to have more patience," Lecanto coach Karen Dickson said.
Lecanto (17-2) had won eight straight district titles. Fleming Island (16-3) is a first-year program that played only freshmen and sophomores.
"We're ecstatic," Tabor said.
No. 2 Ashley Campbell and No. 3 Sireesha Bellam did their part for Lecanto, winning in singles and combining to win at No. 2 doubles. Campbell's three-setter in singles kept the Panthers' hopes alive.
