What Challenge Awaits?

Surely, the final numbers were impressive enough.

Challenger K-8 stood out locally in middle school girls tennis.

Any why not?

Third-year Navigator Head Coach Brett Teitelman reaped the fruit of the first wave of three-year players on his campus.

This year's Challenger K-8 squad not only dominated its 6-team Hernando County Middle School Conference by finishing 9-0 overall (its final match versus Parrott was rained out and not made up denying a scheduled 10th match) -- but did so behind astronomically numbing statistics.

Its six singles players posted a combined 36-0 won-lost slate. Yeah, 36-0.

In doubles, its 17 different combinations posted a perfect 27-0 won-lost mark.

As a result of the 63-0 campaign, there was no doubt who was the best tennis team in Hernando County.

Area coaches and the Hernando Today staff produced the annual 10-team all-star squad featuring six Navigators, highlighted by Player of the Year Mallorie Pickersgill and Coach of the Year Teitelman.

Rounding out the squad, two Parrott Leopards and two West Hernando Golden Eagles were also tabbed.

Challenger K-8: 6 All-Stars

Challenger K-8, which has gradually improved from 2-6 in 2006 to 6-1 in 2007 to 9-0 this spring, paced the circuit with six all-star selections -- including two repeat picks.

Coach Teitelman, the former boys' tennis mentor at Hernando High, had four singles players anointed along with two doubles teams.

There were a multitude of reasons why Teitelman replaced Parrott's Allen Platt as Coach of the Year.

"Come on, 63-0 says plenty," expressed Powell Middle School Head Coach T.J. Roberts. "This (honor) is great for him. He's got the talent pool. He's also got courts and he has an extremely dedicated atmosphere there. There are a lot of things in his favor. That is an extremely dedicated group."

What impressed Roberts the most about Challenger's netters?

"As a whole, they're well prepared athletes," he commented. "They come to play and win -- no exceptions. What I liked most, they showed a lot of respect for their opponents on the court."

"Brett had an unbelievable season," added Coach Platt. "He deserved this. I mean to keep a team focused through every match and every singles and doubles match is unheard of. I applaud their performance."

"When our kids go up against Challenger kids it's like our one month of experience against their three years of experience for every kid," frankly stated West Hernando Head Coach Cheryl Paradis. "I tell our kids, 'This is the way it is. Just go out there hang in and do the best you can.' The reality is they're (Challenger K-8) that good."

Pickersgill, Hattaway return

Perhaps the best symbol of the turnaround at Challenger K-8 is Pickersgill.

She went from rock bottom -- a 1-7 slate in 2006 to going 14-0 across the past two seasons.

"In three years, she's turned into the best junior tennis player in the county," admitted Coach Teitelman. "She's a tremendous soccer player, too. But I think her future will be on the tennis courts. She's one of those rare kids you're lucky to have as a coach."

Hattaway, who did not play tennis in 2006, is another multi-sport athlete, excelling in volleyball and basketball.

Like Pickersgill, she too is headed for Nature Coast Technical next fall.

In two seasons, Hattaway finished 11-0 lifetime in singles matches at Challenger.

In doubles matches, she also finished unbeaten at 11-0.

"Tori has got to be the best female eighth-grade athlete in the county," expressed Coach Teitelman. "Imagine all the things she's done on the courts without extra tennis lessons. She's just a phenomenal athlete and a top-notch student. Academically, she's a 4.0 (grade point average) kid."

In doubles action, Pickersgill/Hattway went 5-0 at No. 3 in 2007. This year, they remained perfect posting a 5-0 mark at the rugged No. 1 doubles position.

"If they get a chance to play together in high school by their senior year, there could be a state title," predicted Teitelman. "Both of those kids get great family support and they're both great athletes. I know that if they played at the high school level right now, they'd beat some people."

First-time picks: Wert, Patel, Cymbal

Perhaps going underneath the radar was Wert's turnaround.

In 2006, Wert "led" the team in singles wins finishing 2-6. Last year, she steadily improved to 5-2 overall.

But after finishing 8-0 this spring she finished tied with Pickersgill in lifetime singles wins (15).

"Her passion is soccer," explained Coach Teitelman. "She's a three-year starter for us and she is the younger sister of James (Wert), who started as a freshman at Central High this year. Her game doesn't come as easy as it did for James. Success in high school will depend on what she decides to pursue. She's not a fulltime tennis player yet, that's up to her."

Yet another success story was Patel.

As a sixth grader in 2006 Patel finished 1-6 in singles play. She improved to 4-3 in 2007 before blossoming into a perfect 6-0 campaign this year.

"Reema deserves a ton of credit," shrugged Teitelman. "She definitely would have won our most improved award over the past three years. When she arrived here she was not physically gifted or had the game skills. Athletics does not come as easy to her as some of the other girls. But she stayed with it and improved every year."

Yet another turnaround story revolved around Wert/Cymbal.

The duo went 2-6 overall in 2006.

But the tandem went a combined 4-0 in 2007 going 2-0 at No. 1 doubles and 2-0 at No. 2.

This year, Wert/Cymbal finished 3-0 at No. 2 to finish 9-6 lifetime.

"Sabreena also ran track, was on the basketball team and was a cheerleader," described Teitelman. "If she manages to balance her schedule in high school I think she would be a phenomenal student/athlete."

Parrott: two all-stars

The Parrott Leopards finished 7-2 overall. After losing 6-1 in the first meeting against West Hernando, Parrott returned the favor behind a decisive 5-2 triumph.

In their other loss, the Leopards were easily handled by Challenger K-8, 7-0. The return match was rained out.

Platt, in his ninth season, saw his squad capture nearly 67 percent of its singles matches (24-of-36) and 63 percent of its doubles matches (17-of-27).

Parrott's top two players, Shelby Marrero and Brigitte Weigl, both seven-graders were named to the All-County team for the first time, and they are expected to help the Lady Leopards contend for the county championship next spring.

Marrero, who was strictly a doubles player as a sixth grader in 2007, posted a combined 5-0 slate. Yet, she did not play one singles match.

This year, Marrero finished fourth in the county in winning percentage at 7-1 (.875).

"She's improved her serve and her confidence," described Coach Platt. "She took her lumps, but she's the type of person who has put in the time to play at a higher level."

Like Marrero, Weigl did not play any singles (nor doubles) in 2007 -- because she was not on the team.

But in her first season of middle school tennis, Weigl went 7-1 in singles and finished 4-4 in doubles action.

On Weigl, "She transferred in," explained Coach Platt. "But she's got a ton of potential. Once she builds her confidence, she could be right up there with some of the best we've ever produced at Parrott.

"Brigitte takes lessons and she and Marrero have parents who are involved in their development -- which helps immensely. Really, I'm expecting bigger and better things from both of them in the future."

West Hernando: No. 3 doubles team feted

The Golden Eagles of West Hernando finished 5-3 under Paradis.

The Brooksville squad may have collected two more wins but was rained out against Powell and Fox Chapel.

The Golden Eagles were represented by a pair of seventh graders, Susan Burmann and Vanessa Martinez, who finished 2-0 at No. 3 doubles.

"Both are new players to the program," explained Coach Paradis. "Vanessa still doesn't have her own racquet. She still uses one from school. These two wanted to be partners and they had good chemistry.

"What I liked about them most was they didn't get frustrated if they lost a point," shared Paradis. "They don't play the blame game. This year was a very positive and encouraging experience for those two."

2008 Hernando Today All-County Middle School Girls Tennis Selections
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO
Singles
POS. PLAYER SCHOOL YR. WON LOST .PCT
No. 1 - Mallorie Pickersgill* CHAL 8th 7 0 1.000
No. 2 - Tori Hattaway CHAL 8th 8 0 1.000
No. 3 - Brittany Wert CHAL 8th 8 0 1.000
No. 4 - Reema Patel CHAL 8th 6 0 1.000
UTIL - Shelby Marrero PAR 7th 7 1 .875
UTIL - Brigitte Weigl PAR 7th 7 1 .875

Doubles
POS. PLAYERS/SCHOOL YRS. WON LOST .PCT
No. 1 - Pickersgill*/Hattaway* CHAL 8th-8th 5 0 1.000
No. 2 - Wert/Sabreena Cymbal, CHAL 8th-8th 3 0 1.000
No. 3 - Susan Burmann/Vanessa Martinez, WH 7th-7th 2 0 1.000
Player of the Year - Mallorie Pickersgill, Challenger K-8
Coach of the Year - Brett Teitelman, Challenger K-8
* Denotes 2007 All-County Selection

2007 Hernando Today All-County Middle School Girls Tennis Selections
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO
Singles
POS. PLAYER SCHOOL YR. WON LOST .PCT
No. 1 - Lindsey McElroy PAR 8th 7 0 1.000
No. 2 - Megan Paradis PAR 8th 6 0 1.000
No. 3 - Mallorie Pickersgill CHAL 7th 7 0 1.000
UTIL - Kaitlynn Budgen FC 8th 5 1 .833
UTIL - Jennie Brown POW 8th 5 3 .625
UTIL - Delanie McCabe WH 7th 4 4 .500
Doubles
POS. PLAYERS/SCHOOL YRS. WON LOST .PCT
No. 1 - McElroy/Paradis, PAR 8th-8th 5 0 1.000
No. 2 - Farley Barnett/Tyra Crispin, CHAL 7th-8th 4 1 .800
No. 3 - Pickersgill/Tori Hattaway, CHAL 7th-7th 5 0 1.000
Player of the Year - Lindsey McElroy, Parrott
Coach of the Year - Allen Platt, Parrott