Bobcats Girls Capture 2013 District Tennis Championship with Perfect Day
By Larry Savage
To say the Buchholz girls tennis team cruised through the District 1-4A tournament would be an understatement.
The Bobcats simply and completely dominated it.
Buchholz won all 21 matches played in the tournament, sweeping the singles and doubles titles on its courts to claim a 12th league title in the last 13 years, totaling a perfect 21 points, well ahead of second-place finisher Fleming Island (11).
“This rarely happens in high school tennis,” said Bobcats coach Mary Cribbs. “The only time I can think of it happening in districts is six years ago when Buchholz did it in 2007. We pretty much expected to win it, but this kind of result is pretty special.”
The Bobcats, a perfect 10-0 in the regular season, got singles titles from Kendal Wilby, Courtney Cribb, Lauren Blakely, Lillie Mehan and Maggie Bethea. Buchholz also swept the doubles with Jessica Vesely and Brianne Wright pulling out a three-set win over Taylor Cowart and Hannah Webster of Tallahassee Chiles in No. 2.
With the victory, Buchholz advances to next Tuesday’s regionals, which it will host Spruce Creek on the Bobcats’ courts at 3 p.m. Cribbs said the team has never advanced beyond the regionals during her 13 years as coach.
“But this may be the team to do it,” she said. “They have had an amazing season, and the girls have really played so well. It is pretty phenomenal what they have accomplished this season.”
In boys, Buchholz finished fourth at district. Minki Jun fell to Stephen Wang of Tallahassee Chiles, 6-4, 6-2, in the finals at No. 3, and Jun and Peyton Nimmons lost in the finals of the No. 2 doubles to Pablo Romany and Wang, 6-3, 6-4.