Despite Rival's Return, Forest Hills Northern Completes Repeat Run
By
Tom Kendra
Special for MHSAA.com
June 4, 2022
HOLLAND – Last year was a breeze for the Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern girls tennis team as it won the Lower Peninsula Division 2 championship by 14 points.
This year, with rival Birmingham Seaholm back from playing in Division 1, the Huskies knew they were in for another battle – which is why all of them took out a black Sharpie and wrote one word of motivation on their left forearm.
“We write FIGHT on our arms for a reason, because we never give up,” explained FHN senior Rhea Marwaha, who teamed with fellow senior Sophie Richards to knock off both of the top seeds to win the No. 1 doubles title.
“We knew this was our last hurrah, so we just decided to keep fighting and keep smiling.”
There were certainly plenty of smiling Huskies on Saturday at Hope College, after they outlasted Seaholm for their 11th Finals championship over the past 20 years.
Forest Hills Northern won with 34 points, with Seaholm right behind with 30 points – a full 12 ahead of the rest of the field, giving the end of the two-day tournament the feel of a dual match.
FHN and Seaholm squared off in all four of the doubles finals, with the Huskies winning first and second doubles and the Maples taking third and fourth. Ironically, neither school won a singles flight, but Northern was runner-up in all four, while Seaholm had no singles players reach the finals.
Mattawan placed third with 18 points as seniors Lizzie Novak and Romika Shokohi won the top two singles flights. Portage Central and Birmingham Groves tied for fourth with 17 points.
Seaholm, which was tied at the top with FHN after the first day with 24 points, needed to sweep the four doubles finals to have a chance. But Forest Hills Northern had other ideas.
Marwaha and Richards, seeded third at No. 1 doubles but the reigning champions at that flight, rode the momentum after downing second-seeded Portage Central in the semifinals to win an intense three-set match over top-seeded Madeleine Leo and Nina Graham of Seaholm in the final, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
“We lost to Seaholm earlier this year, but we knew exactly what we did wrong and we fixed it up,” explained Richards. “We wanted to win today for the team, and we really wanted to beat Seaholm.”
FHN also won No. 2 doubles with the duo of senior Isabella Paul and sophomore Ryan Morey.
While Marwaha and Richards were the “giant killers” for the Huskies in doubles, it was junior Miriam Ogilvie who played that role in singles.
Ogilvie, a junior who was seeded fifth at No. 4, made it all the way to the finals – stunning the top seed in three sets in the semifinals before losing in another three-setter in the final to second-seeded freshman Paula Martinez of Battle Creek Lakeview in the last match of the day.
“I had some really tough battles, and I proved to myself that I could stay intense the whole time,” said Ogilvie. “It feels great to know that I came through for my team.”
Ogilvie was one of four singles runners-up for FHN, and it was those extra points which proved to be the difference against Seaholm. Also placing second for the Huskies were seniors Abby Siminski (No. 1 singles), sophomore Nathalie Lanne (No. 2) and junior Anna Dinsmore (No. 3).
The Huskies reached the finals in all eight of the flights, an incredible showing of depth, which put a smile on the face of veteran coach David Sukup.
“It doesn’t get old, because the kids keep me young,” said Sukup, who has led the Huskies to three second-place Finals finishes over the past 20 years, to go along with the 11 titles. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be doing this, but at this point, I’m on a one-year contract every year.”
Seaholm, which now has four Finals titles and four second-places over the past 10 years, pulled out a couple of big upsets in doubles over FHN to keep its title hopes alive.
Jane Wineman and Tatum Hirsch upset top-seeded FHN at No. 3 doubles, while the duo of Sydney Fong and Jenna Ting went three sets to do the same at No. 4 doubles – but, ultimately, the lack of presence in the singles finals proved costly for the Maples.
The top two singles flights belonged to the Mattawan, as Novak dispatched Siminski (6-1, 6-3) and Shokohi defeated Lanne (6-1, 6-0). Novak will play college tennis next year at the University of Richmond (Virg.), joining her older sister Kate (Bucknell) in the college ranks.
“Oh, we aren’t competitive at all,” Novak said with a laugh, when asked about playing against her sister. “We have good matches, but I think I can beat her.”
Portage Central junior Anna Dinsmore, the third seed at No. 3 singles, upset second-seeded Courtney Marcum of Seaholm in the semifinals, then knocked off top-seeded Andrea Wang of FHN in the final.
At No. 4 singles, Battle Creek Lakeview freshman Paula Martinez became a Finals flight champion by downing Ogilvie in the day’s final match, 7-6, 0-6, 6-2.
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern doubles teammates show their "FIGHT" during a match Saturday. (Middle) Mattawan's Lizzie Novak returns a volley during her No. 1 singles title match. (Below) FHN serves during another doubles match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Pioneer Piles Up Points From All Over Lineup to Claim 3rd-Straight Title
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2023
HOLLAND – Juliana Pullen made her grandpa proud at Saturday’s Lower Peninsula Girls Tennis Division 1 Final.
The Ann Arbor Pioneer senior won her first state championship at No. 3 singles with her grandpa and coach, Tom Pullen, looking on.
Her victory helped the Pioneers win their third-straight team title ahead of runner-up Troy at DeWitt Tennis Center.
Ann Arbor Pioneer finished with 32 points, while Troy had 25.
“I'm glad I was able to live up to the expectations because anything could've happened, so I’m just glad things worked out,” Juliana Pullen said. “There was a lot of pressure, especially with our history as a team and being the coach’s granddaughter. A lot of pressure, but I’m glad I was able to pull through.”
Pullen, the top seed and lone senior on the team, closed her season with a perfect record as she ousted Ann Arbor Skyline’s Maddie Slade in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0.
“That was very satisfying since she is my granddaughter,” Tom Pullen said. “It was nice to see her end her career with a state championship.”
Juliana Pullen, who will play at Kalamazoo College, had an impressive comeback in the semifinals after dropping the first set.
“Everybody at this tournament are great players,” she said. “The girl I played in the semis was a fantastic player, and the same with the finals. Everyone was playing extremely well, and I’m happy to have pulled through and I’m super proud of my team.”
Tom Pullen said a talented and balanced lineup in both singles and doubles helped the Pioneers prevail.
“It takes effort from every member of the team, and this is what made it possible for us,” he said. “We got points from everybody, and Troy had a couple flights where they couldn't get as many points. We had a team that was strong from top to the bottom, and that’s what it takes to win a state championship.”
Pioneers’ top-seeded freshman Sophia Liang joined Pullen as a flight champion with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Clarkston’s Charlotte Partchenko at No. 4 singles.
Liang also finished the season undefeated.
“Being the No. 1 seed you have some pressure, but have to learn to relax and enjoy it,” she said. “At the end of the day it's all about the work and memories that matter the most.
“I just wanted to come out here and play my game and enjoy it. It feels even better to know that the whole team can come together and win, and it’s a nice feeling that we could keep this going.”
Ann Arbor Pioneer also claimed a flight title at No. 4 doubles as junior Noa Gluskin and freshmen Jessica Primus, seeded third, rallied to defeat Novi (4-6, 6-4, 6-1).
“I’m so proud of our No. 4 doubles,” Juliana Pullen said. “One is a freshman and the other one was an alternate for two years, so this was their first year on varsity and they won.”
Troy, which finished third a year ago, dominated in doubles as three flights captured championships.
“They played some very high-level tennis today,” Troy’s assistant coach Susie Moceri said. “We asked, and they delivered.
“Our head coach, Brian Miska, is in the hospital with his wife and he could not be here to watch all the work he has put into this team, but in his absence they really delivered.”
Senior Grace Zhu and junior Nika Tananko captured a straight set (6-2, 6-2) win over Bloomfield Hills at No. 1 doubles, while seniors Varsha Penumalee and Vienna Thieu upset the top-seeded Ann Arbor Pioneer tandem 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles.
Juniors Hannah Lee and Michelle Baik outlasted Ann Arbor Pioneer’s top-seeded team, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to win at No. 3 doubles.
Ann Arbor Skyline’s Sari Woo won at No. 1 singles with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Rochester Adams’ Nicole Fu.
Woo, a junior, did not drop a set en route to her first championship. She was a finalist as a freshman as well.
“I’m pretty excited,” Woo said. “I was a little stressed out during my match, so I feel relieved right now. She played really well, but this means a lot and I’m grateful for everyone who stayed to watch me.”
Fu, a sophomore, upset two-time No. 2 singles champion Elise Van Wieren of Pioneer in the No. 1 semifinals.
Bloomfield Hills’ Raegan Tomina made the most of her final high school tournament and won at No. 2 singles as a third seed. She defeated Rochester Adams’ Katie Fu, 7-5, 6-0.
“It was just an amazing win for me because I’m a senior and this is literally my last competitive match ever,” Tomina said “It just means a lot because I’ve worked so hard.”
Tomina dropped the first set in her semifinal against Jenison’s Marta Gomez, but rallied to win the final two sets and move on.
“I wasn’t even supposed to win my semifinal match, and after that I went into the finals just to have fun,” Tomina said. “I have nothing to lose, and I just played like that and I played with confidence and that’s what I think helped me.”
PHOTOS (Top) Ann Arbor Pioneer celebrates its LPD1 team championship Saturday at DeWitt Tennis Center. (Middle) Ann Arbor Skyline’s Sari Woo returns a volley during her No. 1 singles match. (Below) Troy’s Grace Zhu sends back a shot at No. 1 doubles. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)