The Jensen Beach girls tennis team made what is becoming an annual late-April trip to Central Florida last week.
The Lady Falcons had familiar company: the Falcons boys team.
After each marched their way district and regional titles, both Jensen Beach teams were in action during the Class 3A state championships from Sanlando Park at Altamonte Springs.
While the boys team were eliminated by Chiles 4-1 in the quarterfinals, the girls team reached the finals for the second year in a row, falling to Nease 4-0 on Thursday, April 30.
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Last season, Lisa Thiesen was the one in charge of the Jensen Beach girls program. This year, the task went to first-year head coach Alec McIntyre, who guided the team to a 17-3 record.
“(Thiesen) really encouraged me to take over the role. And it’s been a wonderful experience,” McIntyre said. “The kids, both the boys and girls, are very hard workers. We’re a pretty small group, so I’m very proud of their accomplishments going against even bigger schools than us.”
The Golden Panthers won both doubles matches and captured wins at first and fourth singles.
The No. 1 team of Danielle Wei and Olivia Jepsen didn’t drop a game in a 4-0, 4-0 sweep of Domenica Monserrate and Carissa Regis. Blair and Portland Murray defeated Ella Cedeno and Reese Richardson 4-1, 5-3. In singles competition, Wei went past Monserrate 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles while Blair Murray won in straight sets over Lucy Mayer 6-1, 6-4.
Jensen Beach advanced to the final with a 4-2 quarterfinals victory over Naples on Wednesday, April 29, before taking down Niceville in the semifinals by the same score the following day. Against Naples, Regis, Cedeno, and Mayer collected No. 2, 3, 4 singles, respectively, with Mayer earning the most dramatic triumph of the trio, winning 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (10-2). The team of Cedeno and Richardson also won at second doubles.
Then versus Niceville, Monserrate got on the board with a comeback triumph at first singles 1-6, 6-3 (10-2). Regis and Cedeno also won singles matches while Richardson and Cedeno again teammed to a doubles victory.
“I’m very proud of the girls for taking that extra step and winning in dramatic fashion together in the quarterfinals and semifinals, taking it all the way to the brink of a state championship,” McIntyre said.
The Falcons boys team finished its season at 15-3.
Here’s a look at the results from last week’s state championships.
Class 3A – Girls Team
Finals – Nease 4, Jensen Beach 2
Singles: 1. Danielle Wei (N) over Domenica Monserrate (JB) 6-2, 6-2; 4. Blair Murray (N) over Lucy Mayer (JB) 6-1, 6-4;
Doubles: 1. Wei/Olivia Jepsen (N) over Monserrate/Carissa Regis (JB) 4-0, 4-0; 2. B. Murray/Portland Murray (N) over Ella Cedeno/Reese Richardson (JB) 4-1, 5-3
Semifinals – Jensen Beach 4, Niceville 2
Singles: 1. Monserrate (JB) over Annaliese Drab (N) 1-6, 6-3 (10-2); 2. Regis (JB) over Audrey Hill (N) 6-0, 6-0; 3. Cedeno (JB) over Eleanor Randolph (N) 6-2, 6-0, 5. Savannah McOuat (N) over Richardson (JB) 6-4, 6-0
Doubles: 1. Drab/Isabella Faccini (N) over Monserrate/Regis (JB) 4-1, 4-0; 2. Cedeno/ Richardson (JB) over Katerina Roberts/Josie Harper (N) 4-2, 4-1
Quarterfinals – Jensen Beach 4, Naples 2
Singles: 1. Te’Anna Mata (N) over Monserrate (JB) 6-1, 6-0; 2. Regis (JB) over Leonor Richey Klein (N) 6-0, 6-1; 3. Cedeno (JB) over Isabella Adiutori (N) 6-0, 6-1, 4. Mayer (JB) over Lily Barefoot (N) 6-3, 2-6 (10-2)
Doubles: 1. Mata/Richey Klein (N) over Monserrate/ Regis (JB) 5-3, 4-1; 2. Cedeno/Richardson (JB) over Barefoot/Dylan Berry (N) 4-1, 4-0
Class 3A – Boys Team
Quarterfinals – Chiles 4, Jensen Beach 1
Singles: 1. Evan Rodenberg (C) over Jayden Dyer (JB) 6-1, 7-5; 2. Omar Mongerie (C) over Gavin Hoffman (JB) 6-1, 6-3; 3. Michael Metarko (C) over Brett Tornese (JB) 6-1, 6-1; 4. Shawn Sun (C) over Luke Giachino (JB) 6-0, 6-1;
Doubles: 1. Dyer/Hoffman (JB) over Rodenberg/Metarko (C) 4-1, 5-3; 2. Sun/Wesley Kuntz (C) over Giachino/Tornese (JB) 4-2, 4-0
Class 3A – Girls Singles
Semifinals: McKenna Battilla (Auburndale) over Kate Ensor (South Fork) 6-3, 2-6 (12-10)
Quarterfinals: Ensor (SF) over Stephanie Axne (Fleming Island) 6-2, 6-1
Class 4A – Girls Singles
Quarterfinals: Dhea Bagirathan (Stoneman Douglas) over Olivia Shanaphy (Vero Beach) 6-1, 6-0
Class 4A – Girls Doubles
Quarterfinals: Jordyn Gomez/Jaedyn Gomez (Boone) over Shanaphy/Alena Yancy (VB) 6-2, 6-2
Class 4A – Boys Singles
Quarterfinals: Brayden Amey (West Boca Raton) over William Suleman (VB) 6-0, 6-1
Round of 16: Suleman (VB) advances via bye
Class 4A – Boys Doubles
Quarterfinals: Levi Felsmann/Shail Sastry (Riverview) over Suleman/Jacob Singletary (VB) 6-1, 6-1
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: State Tennis: Jensen Beach girls takes runner-up honors
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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