Delta girls tennis wins 30th sectional title; Jay County and New Castle victorious

MUNCIE, Ind. — If it seems like Delta girls tennis wins a sectional title almost every year, it's because they do.

The hosting Eagles on Friday beat Yorktown 5-0 to win the 30th sectional title in program history. The team has been victorious in all but two postseasons since 1990 (not counting the cancelled 2020 season), with head coach Tim Cleland leading most of the championship squads.

Even after being arguably the most consistently successful team in East Central Indiana, Cleland and the girls still relished being on top once again.

"It doesn't get old to like be able to celebrate this with your team and have an accomplishment that like you all worked hard for," senior No. 1 singles player Gwendolyn Clark (6-3, 6-3) said. "It's exciting every time."

RELATED: Delta High School girls track and field team wins 1st IHSAA sectional title since 2008

Although none of the Tigers took a set from their Delta opponent, every match was a grind because of extreme win conditions. Gusts were unpredictable and crosswinds made every volley a challenge, and the Eagles found themselves in several 3-2 first-set scores to start.

Cleland's girls eventually settled in to take the first set and control the second, but nothing came easy.

"No question the toughest match or wind situation we've been in all season," Cleland said. "Maybe 25 miles an hour ... it was an adventure out there."

Cleland was proud of his team's ability to adjust to the conditions in the second sets, which he credited to his team's mental-makeup and how a difficult regular-season schedule prepared them for these moments.

Delta schedules several top-ranked opponents like Carmel, Westfield, Hamilton Southeastern and others throughout the spring so that the players are accustomed to overcoming obstacles. Especially on this year's team featuring just three of the seven players with postseason experience, facing elite competition leads to long-term improvement.

Cleland also praised his team's intelligence in their adaptability. The Eagles sport a 3.89 GPA, qualifying many players for Academic All-State honors. Cleland thinks classroom success correlates to on-court acumen as well.

"Usually kids that are strong in the classroom (have) a certain grit about them. They've got a certain determination, perseverance," Cleland said. "So you see a match like tonight with all the condition factors and things like that, it helps to have a bunch of students that don't expect things to just be handed to him. They're kind of in the habit of earning it through putting in the work required to do it. That's what we needed."

RELATED: Delta boys track and field wins back-to-back sectional titles, 1st with girls team since 2003

Being a true student-athlete, however, has always been the expectation of Cleland's players, and Clark attributed that standard to being the main reason for the team's sustained excellence. She said Cleland fosters a culture of leadership, built through activities and programs before and during the season that teach "life lessons" to help build character. It's not something she's heard most other coaches successfully accomplish.

Clark, who's played No. 1 singles the past two years, has embraced being a leader this year more than ever. She felt it was her responsibility, particularly on a team that has players of all ages, to set an example on and off the court.

Her approach is different, and its led to four more match wins than last season.

"I feel like this season I'm playing more confidently. Last year, I think I was playing more to 'get the ball in,' but this season I think I have ... a true game plan of where I want the ball to go," Clark said. "I changed my mindset in the sense of — it should be fun. It's a game, you should go out there and have fun. It's your senior year, you have no reason to be nervous ... I think I was just too hard on myself before."

No. 3 singles freshman Brylee Beckley (6-3, 6-2) is experiencing all of this for the first time. Cleland said she earned her spot on varsity after her strong practice play, but she struggled to adjust at the start of the season.

Now she's 11-7 and won 10 of her last 12 matches. Beckley said it was "a little scary" entering a program was such high expectations, yet she's embraced Cleland's approach and is enjoying the experience.

"It's definitely an honor (to play for Cleland). He's just such a good coach," Beckley said. "He makes it makes it feel like a real family. Every coach says, 'it's a family,' but he makes sure ... everyone gets along without him trying. We all just come out and work for him hard."

In the post-match team huddle, it's obvious the girls respect Cleland. They attentively listen to his plan to quickly prepare for the Marion regionals, which begin on Tuesday, as well as his attempts to lighten the mood with a joke.

That part may or may not be as universally loved as his coaching ability.

"(He makes) a couple of dad jokes," Beckley said. "Some days they're funny, some days they're not."

Delta has won six straight regional titles, and Cleland thinks they're likely favored again to advance. Clark believes the team has a shot to get to semistate and hopes to keep the trophies coming.

No matter what, however, she'll never forget her four years at Delta.

"We have an awesome team dynamic. We know when to listen, we know when it's time to step up to the plate, but we also know when it's time to have fun," Clark said. "I love all these girls so much. There's no drama, no anything. We're all have each other's backs, and honestly, this is the best group of girls that I could ever have as a team."

Other sectional results

New Castle wins first title since 2012

Host New Castle on Friday won its sectional title over Tri, the Trojans' first championship since 2012. The team defeated Shenandoah 4-1 on Thursday to advance.

Jay County wins sectional title

Host Jay County on Friday won its second straight sectional title, beating Union City 3-2. No. 1 singles Grace Brewster lost (3-6, 5-7), No. 2 singles Lilly Hedges lost (1-6, 3-6), No. 3 singles Brenna Haines won (7-5, 6-1), No. 1 doubles Madison Dirksen/Holly Hemmelgarn won (6-3, 6-0), and No. 2 doubles Kaylee and Melana Zimmerman won (6-4, 6-0).

Blackford falls in sectional championship

Blackford on Friday lost 5-0 in the Marion sectional championship to Mississinewa. No. 3 singles Meeka Stalker, who lost 6-0, 6-1, was the only Bruins to win a game.

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com or 765-729-4742.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Delta girls tennis wins 30th IHSAA sectional title in program history