Area High School Tennis Teams Earn District Sweeps

The Gainesville High School boys tennis team cruised to its second straight district title on Day 2 of the District 5-3A tournament, Tuesday at the Jonesville Tennis Center.

The Hurricanes stormed through the field, claiming each of the five singles positions and both doubles slots. On the girls side, Columbia’s Chrissie Reichert won the district title at No. 1 singles and clinched an individual state tournament berth.

“The kids did a real good job. They knew what they had to do to get through this,” said GHS boys coach Paul Spradling. “It was a business-like approach. They knew what they had to do and they got it done.”

Cole Fiegel, The Sun’s 2010 Player of the Year, and Zach Goldberg, last year’s Player of the Year, each posted straight-set wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Fiegel and Goldberg didn’t lose a game as they teamed up to win the No. 1 doubles title. Peter Slaton, Jacob Gordon and Justin Zambelli each rolled to wins at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 singles. Slaton and Zambelli also took the No. 2 doubles title.

“I thought we had a pretty good day. We swept the district,” Goldberg said. “Everyone on our team won all of their matches — singles and doubles. I don’t think it could have gone much better.

“I’m excited. It makes us all happy to be able to win our district and move on to regionals. It should be fun.”

The Hurricanes, who reached the state tournament last year for the first time since 2007, will host a Class 3A first-round regional match on Tuesday. Ocala Forest, the district runner-up, will be on the road for the opening round.

Reichert, who reached state with her Tigers teammates the last two years, was the only area girls player to move on after pulling out the district title.

“It is huge because this is my senior year, and I really wanted to have one last hurrah before I graduate,” Reichert. “I just had to dig deep. It was amazing because I have dreamed about this from Day 1 of this season.”

As a sophomore, she won a district title at No. 2 singles, but this was her first district title at No. 1 singles.

DISTRICT 5-2A: At Crystal River, the Eastside boys tennis team also made it a clean sweep in grabbing its first district crown since 2010. Frazier Springfield titled at No. 1 singles, while Camille Kima, John Yoo, Tabong Kima and Max Curtis claimed district titles and No. 2-5 singles. Springfield and Yoo won at No. 1 doubles, with the Kima brothers taking the No. 2 doubles title. The Rams, who clinched their third straight regional playoff appearance, will host a first-round regional match on Tuesday.

“I am extremely proud,” Eastside coach Dave Porter said. “We plan to win both rounds of regionals and hopefully get to state.”

On the girls side, the Rams finished as the district runners-up, two points behind Crystal River, and clinched their first regional playoff appearance since 2005.

Lillie Mehan captured the district title at No. 1 singles and clinched an individual state tournament berth, while Amaleah Mirti claimed the district title at No. 4 singles to lead the way for the Rams.

Eastside will be on the road for its first-round regional match on Tuesday.