Motivation Not in Short Supply as Country Day Emerges, Avenges with Finals Win
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
June 1, 2024
KALAMAZOO - Fueled by a Finals runner-up finish last year and second-place Regional showing two weeks ago, Detroit Country Day unseated two-time reigning champion Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood on Saturday and clinched this season’s Lower Peninsula Division 3 girls tennis championship.
Country Day totaled 33 points at Kalamazoo College's Stowe Stadium to win its first crown since 2021. Cranbrook Kingswood earned second with 29 points, followed by Chelsea (24), Bloomfield Hills Marian (22) and Ada Forest Hills Eastern (21).
"We knew coming in that either us or Cranbrook Kingswood could win this meet. I just felt like our fight and courage were excellent, and that's what happens when everything falls into place. I'm so happy for these girls," said Country Day's first-year head coach Nick Fiaschetti. "This team is incredible. Our seniors are our biggest leaders, and everyone is like a family – and when you have that combination, it makes you difficult to beat."
Country Day didn't let its latest championship chance slip through its grasp. Cranbrook edged Country Day by just two points in 2023. The Cranes (20 points) also edged the Yellowjackets (17) to win their Regional two weeks ago.
"Country Day is a very good team. It really comes down to how well players handle the pressure. The teams that stay relaxed the most generally are the one that wins a state championship,” Cranbrook coach Grant Asher said. “We came up a bit short this year, but I'm proud of our girls. They competed well from the start until the end of the season. We look forward to next season,"
Country Day claimed flight titles at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 singles, along with a crown at No. 1 doubles.
At No. 1 singles, Sophia Grzesiak defeated Forest Hills Eastern's Lilah Zaskowski in the final 6-1, 6-1.
"I'm just really proud of winning an individual title because it helps our quest for the team title. We lost Regionals, but I feel like it gave us the push we needed to come out this weekend and win it all," Grzesiak said.
At No. 3 singles, Helen Benjamin from Country Day topped Muskan Rekhani from Forest Hills Eastern 6-3, 6-1.
"I had to adjust my strategy to get all the balls in. I just had to be consistent and aggressive,” Benjamin said. “My approach shot and putting it away for the point are my biggest strengths. Our captains are great, and we are all very good friends and mentally strong."
At No. 4 singles, Country Day's Katie Han outlasted Cranbrook's Olivia Zhang 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
The Yellowjackets’ No. 1 doubles combination of Marin Nolander and Peja Liles edged Chelsea's duo of Meghan Bareis and Haley Hopkins 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
"They came out strong and aggressive and we found our momentum in the second set," Norlander said.
"We played our game and had fun. Our net play really helped us out as well," Liles added.
Chelsea unseeded sophomore Samantha Bieber downed Country Day's top-seeded Quinn Norlander 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, to win No. 2 singles.
"(Norlander) seemed to be struggling with balls hit to her backhand, so I decided to take advantage of that,” Bieber said. “My groundstrokes are strong, and I think my endurance plays a big part in my success. Just being able to stick with it helps me in tough matches."
Bieber's high fitness level comes from being a dual-sport athlete in track & field. She competed in this weekend's Tennis Finals because it’s her primary sport, but she qualified for the Track Finals as well as a member of two Bulldogs relay teams.
"Running helps me mentally because in a race you have to keep pushing, so that helps me in tennis and it also teaches me time management," Bieber added.
Cranbrook showed its dominance in the doubles flights by winning at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4. Sophia Kouza and Grace Zhang squeaked out a 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 win over Chelsea's Lucy Taylor and Brenna Taylor at No. 2, and the Cranes' No. 3 tandem of Madeline Day and Sanvi Upadhyayula were victorious over Marian's Audrey Agbay and Yana Higgins 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3. Cranbrook's No. 4 junior duo of Michelle Chen and Jessica Hall defeated Marian's Laura Higdon and Stella Glorio 6-2, 6-3.
"We had a lot of highs and lows today," Day said. "Our camaraderie helps keep our spirits up even when one of us is down."
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day’s Marin Norlander prepares to serve during a No. 1 doubles match Friday. (Middle) Cranbrook Kingswood’s Kayli Lala returns a volley during her No. 1 doubles match. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
Forest Hills Northern Returns with Dominating Performance
By
Perry A. Farrell
Special for MHSAA.com
June 5, 2021
MIDLAND – The cancellation of last season due to COVID-19 didn’t affect Abby Siminski in the same way it affected her classmates in the Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern girls tennis program, because she hadn’t planned on playing high school tennis in 2020.
But that hardly means it was lost on her and her current Huskies teammates that they were back playing for a championship Saturday at Midland Tennis Center.
And dominating.
Forest Hills Northern had a participant in every championship match and ran away with the team title, scoring 39 points by winning seven of eight flights. Bloomfield Hills Marian finished second with 25 points, one more than Birmingham Groves.
“It was sad for all of them (2020 seniors) because everything got cut short,’’ said Siminski. “Especially for the captains. I felt really bad for them. It’s a huge deal for us to be out here today and have someone in every flight. We’re just happy to be playing.’’
Before last year’s cancellation, Northern had won outright team titles in 2019, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2003 and 2002, and tied for first in 2014.
“It was tough not being able to play last season,” said longtime Huskies coach Dave Sukup. “We had three seniors on last year’s team that couldn’t finish their careers. We have four seniors on this year’s team. This is an experienced, talented group. This is one of the most talented groups we’ve had. It’s never over until the finals, but we got everyone through.’’
Alexis Pena, the team’s No. 3 singles standout, said current team members still keep in touch with the seniors from last year.
“It was really hard last year because we got through the hard part,’’ said Pena. “We got through tryouts, waking up at 5 in the morning. Then we got a couple practices in. It was really hard on the team because we didn’t know if we were going to keep going or not. We tried our best to go out and play whenever we could and keep conditioning.
“I think this year we did a really good job of coming back as a team and playing well. The seniors last year come out and watch us play, so we’re playing for the seniors last year and the seniors this year.’’
The Huskies lapped the field this weekend. Northern went into the semifinals with a two-point lead over Groves and a three-point lead over Marian.
Northern’s first champ was crowned at No. 3 doubles, as Tanishka Shenoy and Maya Echtinaw won when their opponents retired due to injury.
The Ws kept flowing.
Isabella Paul won No. 2 singles over Deshanaa Betala of Portage Central, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
“I played her during the season, so I knew it was going to be tough,’’ said Paul, who won the No. 3 singles flight in 2019.
“It was tough not playing last season, but it may have been a blessing in disguise for me because I broke my foot. Winning this year was equally as exciting as it was in 2019.’’
Pena won No. 3 singles with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Anna Dinsmore of Portage Central. Siminski defeated Groves’ Sullivan Patel 6-0, 6-2, to claim the championship at No. 1 singles; Siminski had finished runner-up at No. 1 in 2019.
Marian’s Lily Low ended Northern’s flight title run with a 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory over the Huskies’ Nathalie Lanne. But Northern’s No. 4 doubles team of Marion Haviland and Megan Broughal downed Marian’s Marcella Zarouk and Meghan Sharkey 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) to claim that flight.
Northern’s seventh flight championship came from Sophie Richards and Rhea Marwaha at No. 1 doubles. They defeated Makenna Crandell and Taylor Humphrey of Byron Center, 6-3, 6-2, in that final.
PHOTOS: (Top) Forest Hills Northern’s Abby Siminski returns a shot during Friday’s No. 1 singles play in Division 2. (Middle) Marian’s Gaby Gryzenia returns a volley during a No. 1 singles match. (Below) The Huskies’ Sophie Richards (left) and Rhea Marwaha await a serve at No. 1 doubles. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)