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Tennis teams win regional tournaments

The Freedom High girls remain undefeated, Alonso beats Countryside and the Wharton boys move toward the state tournament.

By TERRY JONES
Published April 29, 2005

The best high school tennis teams in north Hillsborough County - the Freedom and Alonso girls and the Wharton boys - have won their regional tournaments and are nearing the end of their postseason: the quest for a state championship.

But softball, baseball and track teams will still be in competition into the second and perhaps the third weeks of May.

Here are results from regional tennis tournaments and district track tournaments:

Freedom High School remained undefeated, sweeping Bartow 7-0 in the April 22 regional championships for Class 2A at the Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club.

They dominated the match. Laura Gioia, Paige Kensrue, Caitlin McKenna, Kellen Beegle and Kaitlyn Hastings all won singles championships for the Freedom Patriots. Gioia and Kensrue teamed up to win the No. 1 doubles, and McKenna and Hastings joined forces to capture the No. 2 doubles.

Also last weekend, Alonso High School captured its second consecutive Class 3A regional championship with a 6-1 victory over Clearwater Countryside.

Megan Broderick, the Ravens' No. 1 player, rebounded from her first loss of the season last week in the district finals to capture the regional singles title, then joined Fernanda Ospina to also win the doubles.

The Ospina sisters, Fernanda and Gabriela, and Marcela Lopez also won singles championships to put the team regional title in the books before the doubles matches began.

Lopez and Gabriela Ospina also joined forces to win the No. 2 doubles.

Alonso defeated Countryside in the district meet last year, too, but by a closer score of 4-3.

Wharton High School won the team title for its Class 3A, regional match April 22, defeating Winter Haven 4-1 and moving forward to the state tournament.

After capturing four victories in the singles matches, doubles were not necessary for the Wharton Wildcats to capture the trophy and qualify the whole team for the state tournament.

Mitch Wong, Michael O'Rourke, Rudy Lefeberve and Alex Bartholemew won singles championships for Wharton.

Wharton has won its seventh consecutive district championship, winning the Class 3A, District 10 championship with 203 points. Brandon was a distant second with 144 and Freedom was fifth with 45.

Sophomore hurdler Teona Rodgers won both the 100- and 300-meters hurdles. Daphne Dunbar set a new school record in winning the 200 with a time of 25.64 seconds.

Ae'Quoia Diggs won individual gold in the 100 meters in 12.67 seconds and helped the Wildcats win both the 4x400 and 4x400 relays. The Wildcats also won the 4x800 relay.

Freedom senior Judith Akachukwi broke a minute in a preliminary heat of the 400-meters with a 59.57 seconds race. She went over a minute in the finals with 1:00.66, but still captured the title.

In the Class 3A, District 9 meet, Sickles took the title with 181 team points. Jefferson was second with 107 points. Leto scored 40 and Alonso 35.

Shannon Lewis won the only individual championship for the Sickles Gryphons by capturing the shot put event with a toss of 36 feet, 11 inches.

Jefferson sprinter Dartania Jackson won both the 100 meters and the long jump to lead the Jefferson Dragons' effort, and teammate Jasmine Earls won the high jump.

Wharton has won its sixth consecutive district championship. Wharton scored 197 points, Armwood was second with 149, and Freedom was sixth with 46 in the meet.

Ryan Courtoy won both the mile and 2-mile events to provide domination by the Wildcats in the distance events.

Tyler Perkins also won twice in singles events; capturing both the shot put and discus throw for the Wildcats.

Winning single events were Sadat Kahin, 800 meters, and Machel Hunter, high jump.

In the Class 3A, District 9 meet, Sickles finished fourth with 85 points, Jefferson fifth with 82, Leto sixth with 62 and Alonso eighth with 26.

Doug Perkins was a double winner for Sickles, winning both the shot put and discus events.

Evander Jones won the gold for Jefferson in the 2-mile race.

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 08:32:07]