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MAY 10, 2018<br />
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 9<br />
Girls punch their ticket to state tournament<br />
By Anne Marie Tobin<br />
PEABODY — The Peabody<br />
girls tennis team punched its<br />
state tournament ticket, defeating<br />
Lynn English 5-0<br />
Thursday at home to qualify<br />
for the Division 1 North<br />
tournament.<br />
With the win, the Tanners improved<br />
to 8-1.<br />
“We had only 15 matches<br />
this year because I didn’t want<br />
to gum up the works with all<br />
these makeup games we usually<br />
have in the spring,” said<br />
coach Lorraine Benoit. “The<br />
girls feel good knowing they<br />
qualified after not making it<br />
last year. Now we just want to<br />
keep winning as many matches<br />
as possible to get a higher seed.<br />
In the past we have had unlucky<br />
draws in the bracket, even when<br />
we had 15-win seasons.”<br />
Brooke Hodas got things<br />
started, winning the first singles<br />
match at love, 6-0, 6-0.<br />
After Angela Ferrer won<br />
at third singles, 6-2, 6-0,<br />
Lindsey Kouroyen and Caitlin<br />
Bettencourt prevailed at first<br />
doubles, 6-1, 6-1, the Tanners<br />
clinched the match..<br />
Shaelyn Kelley completed<br />
the singles sweep with a 6-3,<br />
6-0 at second singles.<br />
The second doubles match<br />
was the closest of the day.<br />
Becca Truong and Elizabeth<br />
Newton took the first set easily,<br />
6-2, and held on to take the<br />
second set, 7-5.<br />
The Tanners tennis program<br />
has seen a huge return to<br />
relevance.<br />
“Things are really good for<br />
Peabody tennis this year for<br />
the girls and the boys as well,”<br />
Benoit said. “The girls came<br />
back with a huge rejuvenation,<br />
clear in their heads knowing<br />
that had to improve to compete.<br />
They are being rewarded<br />
for their commitment. They<br />
know what they have to do and<br />
are learning to come back after<br />
losing the first set and win.<br />
Benoit said the key to the<br />
season has been at singles.<br />
“All three singles players<br />
have been playing great, and we<br />
also are getting points from first<br />
doubles from out mainstays,<br />
April Horwarth and Lindsey,<br />
and I’ve been able to rotate<br />
several players at second doubles<br />
when things like AP tests<br />
and school cause kids to miss<br />
matches.”<br />
Sports<br />
Boys tennis inch closer to post-season<br />
PHOTO | ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
Higgins Middle Schooler Paul Neal breezed through his No. 1 singles match in the Tanners’ loss<br />
to Marblehead.<br />
By Anne Marie Tobin<br />
‘<br />
PEABODY — The Peabody<br />
boys tennis team split two<br />
matches last week to improve<br />
to 5-3 and pull two games<br />
closer to clinching a spot in the<br />
tournament.<br />
At home Monday, the<br />
Tanners lost a close one to visiting<br />
Marblehead, 3-2. Despite<br />
the loss, Peabody coach<br />
Maureen Shea had nothing but<br />
good things to say after the<br />
match.<br />
“Our guys kept their heads in<br />
the match and had some great<br />
shots and good play,” she said.<br />
“I am very proud of our guys<br />
today as we had nothing to lose.<br />
Marblehead traditionally has<br />
a strong program. I knew we<br />
had a strong chance at first and<br />
second singles, so our challenge<br />
was trying to steal a win at third<br />
singles or in one of the doubles<br />
matches. Today just wasn’t that<br />
day.”<br />
Higgins Middle School seventh-grader<br />
Paul Neal won<br />
easily at first singles 6-0, 6-2,<br />
while the Tanners’ Alex Nadeau<br />
also rolled in the second singles<br />
match, 6-0, 6-2. Kyle White<br />
came up short in the third singles<br />
match 6-2, 6-0.<br />
“Paul had a good day and<br />
handled his business as usual,<br />
while Alex faced a strong opponent<br />
who gave him a challenge<br />
but he stayed focused and shut<br />
him down,” said Kelly.<br />
Max Leete and Jason Davis<br />
went down at love at first<br />
doubles at love 6-0, 6-0 while<br />
Calvin Anton and Angelo Ferrer<br />
fell 6-0, 6-2 in the second doubles<br />
match.<br />
“I saw a lot of good things at<br />
third singles and on the doubles<br />
courts,” said Kelly. “The boys<br />
are improving every day and<br />
today we went out and wons<br />
some points and took a few<br />
games that people didn’t expect<br />
to happen. I consider today a<br />
good day.”<br />
Peabody 5, Salem 0<br />
On May 2 at home, the<br />
Tanners cruised to a 5-0 win<br />
over an undermanned Salem<br />
squad, which brought only five<br />
players to the match and had<br />
to forfeit the second doubles<br />
match.<br />
Paul Neal defeated Ryan<br />
Farley 6-0, 6-0 at first singles,<br />
while Alex Nadeau defeated<br />
Tim Farley 6-0, 6-0 at second<br />
singles. Kyle White completed<br />
the singles sweep with a 6-1,<br />
6-4 win over Clay Ruffin at<br />
third singles. Jason Davis and<br />
Mikey Jeannotte went the distance<br />
at first doubles, needing<br />
three sets to pull out a 6-2, 3-6,<br />
6-2 win.<br />
PHOTO | ANNE MARIE TOBIN<br />
Elizabeth Newton (above) and her doubles partner Becca Truong won their second doubles<br />
match over Lynn English, part of a sweep of the Bulldogs. The win qualified the Tanners for the<br />
state tournament.
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