Palmetto, Gables, Pine Crest, CS Charter tennis wrap up state meet with more titles
After another stellar performance by South Florida tennis teams, a few individuals wrapped up the week in the Orlando area by securing more state championships.
The duo of Pine Crest’s Michaela Landry and Natasha Jerkunica defeated Jackie Daynovsky and Kristina Despotuli from American Heritage-Delray, 6-4, 6-3 to win the overall state title in the Class 2A doubles division.
It was the first state title for both players and they became the first overall girls’ doubles champions in the school’s history.
“This is a great accomplishment for Michaela and Tasha. I’m so proud of how they represented our school this week,” Pine Crest tennis coach Corey Marsh said. “They were able to get on the same page early in the season, and played great doubles from start to finish. Michaela got to finish her five-year career at Pine Crest on a high note, and the future is bright for Natasha who is in eighth grade.”
The success wasn’t limited to the doubles side.
Miami Palmetto’s Ameia Sorey, a sophomore, took home the overall Class 4A girls’ singles championship when she defeated Apopka’s Alyssa Novoa. Sorey’s win came a day after she led the Panthers to the 4A team championship and after she came up short in the overall singles final last year.
At Palmetto - a program with six girls’ state team titles - Sorey became the first overall girls’ singles individual champion in school history.
Also in singles in Class 2A, Coral Springs Charter’s Juhnyee See repeated as the state girls’ singles overall champion in an all-South Florida matchup against Gulliver Prep’s Sophia Varabyeva. See is the only individual overall girls’ state champion in her school’s history.
In Class 4A boys’ doubles, Coral Gables secured the Class 4A overall boys’ doubles title when the team of Henry Stoller and Nikolas Stoot beat Vero Beach’s Mason Cisco and Bo Johnson. They became the first team to win it for the Cavaliers since Daniel Krulig and Jack Lee won it in 2016.
OTHER NOTABLES
▪ Pine Crest was unable to make it a doubles sweep, however, as the team of Kenneth Chan and Krisztian lost in the boys’ 2A overall final to Delray Heritage’s team of Markus Ekstrand and George Kosseifi.
▪ Doral’s girls’ doubles team of Payton Seidle-Lubowitz and Patricia Palencia lost in the 4A overall final against Boca Raton Spanish River’s Blanka DeMicheli and Delaine Tribby.
▪ In Class 2A boys’ singles, Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian’s James Adler Germinal lost to Delray Beach American Heritage’s Markus Ekstrand in the overall final.
