Central slips in semis

Central Head Coach Sonya Burns knew her girls had tough draws in the second day of the Class 3A, District 5 Tournament.

Unfortunately for the Lady Bears, Wednesday's singles semifinals proved too tough, as they went 0-3 to end their season at River Ridge High.

Victoria Easler (No. 3), Stephanie Wert (No. 4) and Danielle Daly (No. 5) couldn't solve their respective opponents, each finishing 1-1 for the two-day event.

Daly, a freshman, had the best semifinal showing, facing second-seeded Radhika Gandhi from Lecanto. She lost 7-6 (9-7), 6-4.

"Overall, Danielle, my No. 5, that was the best match she's had all year and during the season she lost to the same girl, 6-1, 6-1," Burns said. "For her to come back in the first set, lose in a tiebreaker and 6-4 in the second set, it's an amazing accomplishment for a freshman."

"I guess I wasn't as nervous. I was happy to win my first match (on Tuesday)," Daly said. "...I learned I love tennis so much and there are a lot of good players. I think I'll be more experienced and I won't be as nervous (next season) since I've done it before."

The junior Easler fell to eventual champion Hannah Still of Wiregrass Ranch, 6-0, 6-1. Wert, a freshman, also went down to someone who went on to win the title, losing to River Ridge's Jordyn Garcia, 6-0, 6-0.

Central ended up in sixth place with seven team points earned on Tuesday. River Ridge topped Wiregrass Ranch for the team crown, 25-20, though both squads will advance to regionals.

"All and all I think we did very well," Burns said. "We worked in the beginning of the season for improvement toward the end and we definitely had that today."

Class 3A, District 5 Girls Tennis Tournament
at River Ridge High
1. River Ridge (RR) 25, 2. Wiregrass Ranch (WGR) 20, 3. Citrus (CIT), Lecanto (LEC) 9, 5. Hudson (HUD) 8, 6. Central (CEN) 7, 7. Leesburg (LEE) 4, 8. Ridgewood (RW) 2, 9. Springstead (SPG) 0

No. 1 singles
Feeder round
Akshara Patel (LEC) over Layla Schuster (CEN), 6-0, 6-1.
First round
Nicola Wellman (RR) over Stephanie Dodd (CIT), 6-1, 6-0.
Maleana McIlvaine (RW) over Laura Paulavage (SPG), 6-3, 6-2.
Sarah Means (WGR) over Patel (LEC), 6-0, 6-0.
Gretchen Berisford (LEC) over Tara Frebert (HUD), 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Second round
N. Wellman (RR) over Berisford (LEC), default
S. Means (WGR) over McIlvaine (RW), 6-0, 6-0.
Championship
N. Wellman (RR) over S. Means (WGR), 5-7. 6-0, 6-4.

No. 2 singles
Feeder round
Brittany Wert (CEN) over Haley Smalt (LEE), 6-0, 6-1.
First round
Nadia Kahn (LEC) over Sabreena Cymbal (SPG), 6-0, 6-2.
Kari Fairbanks (HUD) over Sarah Labrador (CIT), 6-1, 6-0.
Tijana Subotic (RR) over Melissa Terranova (RW), 6-0, 6-0.
Elizabeth Means (WGR) over B. Wert (CEN), 6-0, 6-0.
Second round
E. Means (WGR) over Labrador, 6-0, 6-0.
Kahn (LEC) over Subotic (RR), 6-1, 6-0.
Championship
E. Means (WGR) over Subotic (RR), 6-1, 6-1.

No. 3 singles
Feeder round
Paige Winters (HUD) over Adrianna Laidley (RW), 6-1, 6-0.
First round
Victoria Easler (CEN) over Jaymie Mansfield (SPG), 6-2, 6-1.
Hannah Still (WGR) over Winters (HUD), 6-0, 6-0.
Erin Davis (CIT) over Kim Riddle (LEE), 6-1, 6-2.
Angela Wellman (RR) over Katie Campbell (LEC), 6-1, 6-3.
Second round
A. Wellman (RR) over Easler (CEN), 6-0, 6-1.
Still (WGR) over Davis (CIT), 6-1, 6-3.
Championship
Still (WGR) over A. Wellman (RR), 6-0, 6-4.

No. 4 singles
Feeder round
Katie Bonti (WGR) over Jessica Hall (SPG), 6-0, 6-0.
First round
Jackie Ear (CIT) over Caroline Keesler (RW), 6-1, 6-3.
Shannon Zasloff (HUD) over Zeel Patel (LEC), inj. default.
Stephanie Wert (CEN) over Heather Kennedy (LEE), 6-1, 6-0.
Jordyn Garcia (RR) over Bonti (WGR), 6-1, 6-3.
Second round
Zasloff (HUD) over Ear (CIT), 6-2, 6-4.
Garcia (RR) over S. Wert (CEN), 6-0, 6-0.
Championship
Garcia (RR) over Zasloff (HUD), 6-1, 6-2.

No. 5 singles
Feeder round
Jade Vaca (WGR) over Lena Martone (CIT), 6-1, 6-3.
First round
Jessica Christianson (HUD) over Sommer Mims (LEE), 6-3, 6-4.
Danielle Daly (CEN) over Leanna Kotun (RW), 6-2, 6-0.
Radhika Gandhi (LEC) over Sara Fetter (SPG), 6-0, 6-0.
Taylor LaRoue (RR) over Vaca (WGR), 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Second round
Gandhi (LEC) over Daly (CEN), 7-6 (9-7), 6-4.
LaRoue (RR) over Christianson (HUD), 6-2, 6-0.
Championship
LaRoue (RR) over Gandhi (LEC), 6-2, 6-0.

No. 1 doubles
Feeder round
A. Patel/Kahn (LEC) over Paulavage/Mansfield (SPG), 6-1, 6-0.
First round
Frebert/Zasloff (HUD) over Schuster/S. Wert (CEN), 6-1, 6-1.
Dodd/Labrador (CIT) over McIlvaine/Terranova (RW), 6-2, 6-2.
N. Wellman/Subotic (RR) over Berisford/Smalt (LEE), 6-0, 6-0.
S. Means/E. Means (WGR) over A. Patel/Kahn (LEC), 6-0, 6-1.
Second round
S. Means/E. Means (WGR) over Frebert/Zasloff (HUD), 6-0, 6-0.
N. Wellman/Subotic (RR) over Montalva/Schelstrate (CIT), 6-0, 6-0.
Championship
S Means/E. Means (WGR) over N. Wellman/Subotic (RR), 6-2, 6-0.

No. 2 doubles
Feeder round
Davis/Martone (CIT) over Fairbanks/Winters (HUD), 6-1, 6-0.
First round
Garcia/A. Wellman (RR) over Davis/Martone (CIT), 7-5, 6-2.
Campbell/Z. Patel (LEC) over Laidley/Keesler (RW), 6-2, 6-0.
Riddle/Kennedy (LEE) over Iza O'Neal/Katie Duguid (SPG), 6-4, 6-3.
Still/Bonti (WGR) over B. Wert/McKenzie Burns (CEN), 6-4, 6-2.
Second round
Garcia/A. Wellman (RR) over Campbell/Z. Patel (LEC), 6-1, 6-1.
Still/Bonti (WGR) over Riddle/Kennedy (LEE), 6-1, 6-0.
Championship
Garcia/A. Wellman (RR) over Still/Bonti (WGR), 6-3, 6-1.

Central High's 3A-5 Individual Results
Singles:
Player W L PL
Layla Schuster 0 1 -
Brittany Wert 1 1 -
Victoria Easler 1 1 -
Stephanie Wert 1 1 -
Danielle Daly 1 1 -
TOTALS 4 5

Doubles:
Schuster/S. Wert 0 1 -
B. Wert/McKenzie Burns 0 1 -
TOTALS 0 2

Springstead High's 3A-5 Individual Results
Singles:
Player W L PL
Laura Paulavage 0 1 -
Sabreena Cymbal 0 1 -
Jaymie Mansfield 0 1 -
Jessica Hall 0 1 -
Sara Fetter 0 1 -
TOTALS 0 5

Doubles:
Paulavage/Mansfield 0 1 -
Iza O'Neal/Katie Duguid 0 1 -
TOTALS 0 1