Broadneck High School's Michele Jordan repeated as singles champion at the region tennis finals at Annapolis on Saturday. She's one of four Bruins who will advance to the state championship this weekend.
Just like last year, the
Broadneck High School tennis team showed it has the depth and it can win when it counts.
The Bruins secured their second straight region tennis title Saturday after edging
Severna Park in a two-day event that attracted the top players from Anne Arundel County and the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference at Annapolis High School on Saturday.
Broadneck had fallen to the Falcons in a dual match during the regular season,
6-3, and again in the county championship,
48-41.
"We were pretty disappointed after the county championship," said Broadneck coach Mike Hudson, whose team finished with 15 points Saturday, five more than second-place Severna Park.
"We basically kept the same exact people in place and just worked very hard. This group is very determined. They stayed late after practice and they were not going to be denied."
Each finalist at the region tournament also qualifies for the state competition. The Maryland state championship, a two-day event, starts Friday at 10 a.m. at the University of Maryland tennis center. The matches will be moved on campus at UMD for Saturday's finals, slated for a 10 a.m. start.
The Bruins will send singles players Michele Jordan and Stephen Woody along with the boys doubles pair of Zach Hare and Brian Sachtjen. Ben Rosenthal and Kevin Zingler (boys doubles) and Shelly Wilke and Matt Balleza (mixed doubles) will represent Severna Park.
Annapolis singles players Roxanne Alban and Morgan Joyce will make the trip along with the
Arundel sister tandem and doubles partners Amy and Jenny Olson.
Jordan fell to Severna Park's Christina Harrington twice this year but met Alban in the girls singles final. Broadneck topped Annapolis in a dual match during the first week of the season and Alban was out of town for the bout. Jordan beat Alban in three sets in last year's county championship and cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 win Saturday.
Woody fell to Zingler during the regular season but the Falcons' No. 1 singles player joined Rosenthal for doubles before the county and region meet. The move opened the door for Woody, but he still had his hands full with Joyce. Woody fell victim to Joyce in the first week of the season but avenged the loss with a win at the county match. On Saturday, Woddy made it two in a row in a 6-4, 7-5 victory.
"Both Michele and Stephen have overcome a lot this season," Hudson said. "They are just the kind of kids that work so very hard."
Taking the singles titles and a second-place showing from Hare and Sachtjen helped the Bruins surge but Hudson said it was the other Broadneck athletes competing in consolation matches that put them over the edge.
"This title belongs to the team because it took every one of us to make it happen," he said.
Zingler and Rosenthal rallied back for the boys doubles title, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Wilke and Balleza, of Severna Park, cruised in their mixed doubles final, 6-4, 6-1.
REGION FINAL RESULTSGirls SinglesMichele Jordan (Broadneck) d. Roxanne Alban (Annapolis), 6-4, 6-4
3rd place: Christina Harrington (Severna Park); 4th place: Hopson (Patuxent)
Boys SinglesStephen Woody (Broadneck) d. Morgan Joyce (Annapolis), 6-4, 7-5
3rd place: Ly (Patuxent); 4th place: Love (Patuxent)
Girls DoublesAmy Olson/Jenny Olson (Arundel) d. Lutui/Hein (LaPlata), score n/a
3rd place: Sneeuwjagt/Beyer (Huntingtown); 4th place: Culpepper/Cropper (Leonardtown)
Boys DoublesBen Rosenthal/Kevin Zingler (Severna Park) d. Zach Hare/Brian Sachtjen (Broadneck), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
3rd place: Alex Banks/Jon Coe (Broadneck); 4th place: Erk/Wettengel (Leonardtown)
Mixed DoublesShelly Wilke/Matt Balleza (Severna Park) d. Mehta/Carlson (Leonardtown), 6-4, 6-1
3rd place: Victoria Handlin/Eric Pedersen (Broadneck); 4th place: Wells/Massad (LaPlata)