Freshman makes Cathedral Prep tennis history; Fairview doubles team wins medals
HERSHEY ― A Cathedral Prep singles player started his PIAA tennis career with a milestone medal Saturday at Hershey Racquet Club.
Meanwhile, a Fairview doubles team made sure that a longtime coach closed his boys tennis tenure with a medal-winning performance.
Cathedral Prep has a decorated tennis history, particularly in the past decade, but freshman Jonah Ng became the first singles player in Prep history to earn a medal.
The Ramblers had won five doubles state championships and had finished second in doubles twice.
But Ng made history by placing fourth in the PIAA Class 2A singles tournament over the weekend. Ng won twice on Friday to advance to the bracket's final four. He then lost to North Catholic's Nicolas Scheller, 6-0, 6-2, Saturday morning before dropping the afternoon third-place match against Lancaster Country Day's Nile Abadir, 6-2, 6-4.
However, thanks to his semifinal appearance, Ng received a PIAA medal to commemorate his memorable freshman season. He took District 10 by storm this year, rolling through the regular season and then dominating the District 10 Class 2A singles tournament.
He won twice Friday, sweeping D-5 champ Liam Egal of Somerset 6-0, 6-0 in the opening round and then claiming a dramatic three-set win over Lancaster Country Day junior Freddie Bloom, the District 3 runner-up, in the quarterfinals by a score of 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (4).
"We are very proud of Jonah’s accomplishments this weekend," Prep coach Pat Grab said. "He was the last standing freshman in singles for both 2A and 3A."
PIAA singles, doubles: Cathedral Prep, Fairview boys tennis players lose in PIAA semifinals
The performance sets up the future nicely for Ng, who has three more years to pursue District 10 titles, PIAA medals and maybe – as he grows and fine-tunes his game – a state title.
However, Grab basked in the thought of such a young player achieving such a rare feat for a school like Prep with such a glorious sports history.
"The last (singles) medalist from District 10 was (McDowell star) Landon Williams in 2010 and 2009," Grab said. "Before that, it was Don Johnson in 1984. It simply does not happen that often from our area."
Sertz coaches final boys match
In PIAA doubles action, Fairview seniors Aravind Turaga and Nate Kisiel made sure they went out – and their coach went out – with a medal over the weekend at the Hershey Racquet Club.
Turaga and Kisiel claimed a Class 2A doubles medal by winning twice Friday and advancing to the PIAA's final four.
That achievement capped the final season for head coach Rick Sertz, who announced after the D-10 tournament that he would retire as Fairview's boys tennis coach at the end of the season. He will continue as the Tigers' girls tennis coach.
PIAA team tourney:Fairview boys team eliminated from PIAA Class 2A tournament
D-10 team tourney:Fairview boys tennis coach Rick Sertz to resign after season; Tigers, McDowell win titles
Sertz, 61, has been the Fairview boys coach for 24 seasons. His teams have won 18 District 10 team championships, and he has guided the Tigers to a team record of 372-77.
Turaga and Kisiel secured their medals Friday with wins in the first round and quarterfinals. They beat the D-5 champions, Bedford's Nick Beard and Tristen Ruffley, 6-1, 6-2, and then followed with a 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory over Wade Stoltzfus and Jazae Iteg of Pequea Valley.
The Tigers' duo lost in the Saturday morning semifinals to WPIAL champions from North Catholic, Brody Golla and Alex Garvey, 6-4, 6-1. Daniel Li and Kevin McHale of team state champion Masterman then beat Turaga and Kisiel 6-4, 6-1 in the third-place match.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Freshman makes Cathedral Prep tennis history; Fairview duo wins medals
