Elyria Catholic finally breaks through: Panthers win four of five finals en route to LCAAA tennis championship
Joel Hammond | The Chronicle Telegram
AVON LAKE — Elyria Catholic on Saturday took out years of Lorain County Athletic Administrators Association frustration — and the Panthers did it in near-perfect fashion.
Elyria Catholic, which according to coach Terry Butler hadn’t won the LCAAA title in 15 or 16 years, won four of five flights, scored 19 points and beat five-time defending champion Avon Lake, which totaled 15. Avon was third with 11.
The Panthers’ Emily Mueller (second singles), Morgan Baker (third singles), Nicole Campana and Shannon Tomshack (first doubles) and Michele Mueller and Mary Dowdell (second singles) won championships to help topple the Shoregals.
“I’m so excited. I don’t even know how to say it,” said Elyria Catholic’s lone senior, Becky Mittler, who lost to Avon Lake’s Nikki Chiricosta at first singles, 6-2, 6-0. “I knew I was going to have a tough match. … I’m watching them play their hearts out, and I’m just so proud of them. Especially this season, they’ve grown up. Today, they played so good.”
Butler credited the Shoregals with helping his team’s growth.
“It’s been close the last five years,” Mueller said. “We point to (the LCAAA tournament) on the calendar every year. Avon Lake’s been a great challenge for us. They push us to work hard in the offseason and we’re just thrilled to win it.”
Mueller beat Avon Lake’s Jenna Goedde in a marathon match — 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 — to clinch her title. Mueller, who also won at second singles last year, gained a 9-4 lead in the third set, but watched Goedde cut her advantage to two.
“It could have gone either way,” Mueller said. “She had the momentum. I don’t even know how I pulled it off. It helps a little being familiar with Avon Lake, but it’s bad, too, because you see how good they are and it can be intimidating.”
Campana and Tomshack prevented the Shoregals’ Katie Began and Molly Clayton from defending their crown, winning another long one — 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 10-8.
Chiricosta, who won at second singles as a freshman and at first singles last year, won her first two matches without surrendering a game, and thus had a long layover between her semifinal win over Midview’s Alyx Plues and the final.
“It was a disadvantage to sit around, because I’d rather keep playing,” she said. “It’s hard to sit around for that long and then get back to playing.”
Despite the layoff, Chiricosta won 14 straight points after being broken by Mittler, which cut Chiricosta’s first-set lead to 5-2. Chiricosta broke back at love to end the first set, then shut out Mittler in the second.
“(Mittler’s break) got me back into it,” Chiricosta said. “When she won that game at love, the momentum switched her way. I thought if I could break back after that, I could get the momentum back.”
Said Butler: “(Mittler’s) a great leader for us. She works really hard, puts in extra time and is a great role model for the rest of the team.”
Avon’s Erica Mathie broke up the Shoregal and Panther party in the finals, falling to Baker at third singles, 6-3, 6-4.
Team totals: Elyria Catholic 19, Avon Lake 15, Avon 11, Amherst 3, Midview 1, Southview 1
Individual results (third sets played in tiebreaker format to 10):
First singles — 1st: Nikki Chiricosta (AL) def. Becky Mittler (EC), 6-2, 6-0; 3rd: Jody Wagner (Av) def. Alyx Plues (M), 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 10-5.
Second singles – 1st: Emily Mueller (EC) def. Jenna Goedde (AL), 6-3, 4-6, 10-7; 3rd: Lindsay Aston (Av) def. Colleen Watkins (S), forfeit.
Third singles – 1st: Morgan Baker (EC) def. Erica Mathie (A), 6-3, 6-4; 3rd: Lexi Alonso (AL) def. Rachel Szucs (Am), 6-1, 6-0.
First doubles – 1st: Nicole Campana/Shannon Tomshack (EC) def. Katie Began/Molly Clayton (AL), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 10-8; Carmella Mostardi/Karen Demaline (Av) def. Diane Noskova/Jessica Brooks (Am), 2-6, 6-3, 10-4.
Second doubles – 1st: Michele Mueller/Mary Dowdell (EC) def. Morgan Maloney/Becca Smith (AL) 6-1, 6-2; 3rd: Stephanie Naymik/Clare Adams (Av) def. Kaytee Newton/Maggie Smith (Am), 7-6, 6-4.
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Filed by Joel Hammond | The Chronicle Telegram September 7th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 2% |
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