Alonso's Broderick takes title with ease

By SCOTT PURKS and DAVID MURPHY
Published April 27, 2006

At Altamonte Springs, Alonso junior Megan Broderick not only won the overall individual title Wednesday afternoon, but she dominated every opponent she played through the state tournament.

Broderick went 4-0 on courts of Lake Brantley High School and Sanlando Park, never giving up more than three games in any set. In Wednesday's overall final, she defeated the champion from the team No. 1 players' bracket, Cypress Bay's Veronica Suarez, 6-0, 6-1.

"She played the way she's played all year (13-0 overall) and I knew if she did that she stood a very good chance of being the state champion," Alonso coach Helen Soash said. "She's a champion in every sense of the word."

Broderick followed her singles title by teaming with senior Fernanda Ospina in the doubles final, but the duo fell short, losing 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 to Sarasota Riverview sisters Kendall and Kristen Ruffner.

"My girls played great and I thought they had them on the ropes after the second set, but Ruffner came back strong," said Soash of her doubles team that finished the season 12-1.

When Broderick and Ospina finished their final match, they drove back to Alonso, where the school band boomed out a champions tune and dozens of students and faculty cheered under the sign in front of the school that announced, "Congratulations, State Champions, Megan B. and Fernanda O."

"It was a great, great way to end the season," Soash said. "Everyone is so proud of them."

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS - Jamie Mera is a sophomore, and she is a No. 1 singles player, and on Wednesday afternoon, she wasn't sure if either of those facts would still be true when her semifinal match in the team championships came to a close.

Throughout a match that featured more squeaking and grunting than an auto-repair shop, the Chamberlain player appeared to be on the verge of spontaneously combusting.

"In my mind, I was exhausted," said Mera, who won the first set against Leon's Holly Johnson 7-6, then found herself deadlocked 6-all in the second set. "I was cramping a little bit. I needed to win it right there."

Mera did win it, finally finishing a marathon tiebreaker with a 10-8 win. Her performance not only pushed her into today's team No. 1 championship against Celebration's Julia Huschke, it helped give Chamberlain a tie for the team point lead.

Heading into the second day, the Chiefs are in a three-way tie for first with eight points. All five of their singles players and both of their doubles teams won their first matches.

Whether Chamberlain is able to push for the team title will be decided today. The Chiefs have a singles player (Mera) and two doubles teams still alive. The other top teams - Barron Collier and Gainesville - both have four point-gaining opportunities still alive (Collier has two singles players and two doubles teams, Gainesville has three singles players and one doubles team).

Chamberlain is the only area team with a chance to do anything during today's finals. But the Wharton boys have both of their doubles teams in the semifinals, and No. 3 singles player Alex Bartholomew is in the finals.

In the individual championship, the Wharton girls doubles team of Brooke Allen and Eva Sambrano advanced to the semifinals. Allen lost to Wesley Chapel star Yumi Hasegawa in the singles tournament.

[Last modified April 27, 2006, 03:05:17]