Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org
Blake Ress, Commissioner
_________________________________________________________________________
June 6, 2009
CARMEL TURNS AWAY HOMESTEAD
IN GIRLS TENNIS FINAL
MUNSTER’S MARY HILL BECOMES STATE’S WINNINGEST GIRLS
SINGLES PLAYER
Second-ranked
Carmel survived a tough semifinal encounter and went on to defeat previously undefeated
Homestead, 4-1, to capture the 2009 IHSAA Girls Tennis team championship at
North Central High School in Indianapolis.
The
Greyhounds (19-1) claimed a 3-2 victory over fourth-ranked Munster (18-2) in
the morning round before sweeping both doubles matches and taking two of three
singles duels in the state championship match. Courtney Wild’s 6-3, 7-5 victory
over Homestead’s Jade Johnson proved the clinching point in the
best-of-five format.
It was the 93rd
IHSAA state championship in all sports for Carmel, its fourth this school year
and fourth in girls tennis (1989, 1990, 2003). Each girls tennis title has come with Sharon Rosenburgh
coaching the Greyhounds.
Carmel’s
Susie Chen and Sara Rodefeld, both juniors, completed
a perfect 17-0 campaign at No. 2 doubles, including a 6-1, 6-2 win over
Homestead’s Kate Bienz and Theresa Sciole in the final. Megan Renninger
and Olivia Trancik of Carmel defeated Suzie Reecer and Tiffany Schendel of Homestead,
6-3, 6-1, at No. 1 doubles and Elizabeth Trancik of
Carmel took out Homestead’s Samantha Rahrig, 6-4,
6-3, at No. 3 singles.
Homestead’s
lone point came at No. 2 singles where Macy Johnson turned away Mikaela Carlson, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
The
Spartans (19-1), led by coach Jim Shull, had topped No. 5 and previously unbeaten
Terre Haute South by a 3-2 count in the semifinals for their spot in the final
match. The school was playing for the championship for the seventh time but has
never come away with the crown.
Carmel had
knocked off top-ranked and four-time defending state champion Park Tudor, 3-2,
in last weekend’s semi-state championship match to earn a spot in the
state finals. The win denied Park Tudor of its quest for a state record fifth consecutive
title.
Munster
topped Terre Haute South (21-2), 4-1, in the consolation match.
Also of
note was Munster No. 1 singles player Mary Hill who became the winningest girls singles player in
state history when she captured her 101st victory in the morning round, a 6-1,
6-3 victory over Wild. She added a 102nd win in the consolation match and
stands 102-1 in her four seasons as a Mustang heading into next weekend’s
state singles tournament.
MUNSTER’S
MARY HILL NAMED MENTAL ATTITUDE WINNER
Following the
state championship match, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee announced
that Mary Hill of Munster High School was the winner of this year’s
Mental Attitude Award in Girls Tennis.
The award
is presented annually to a senior participant in the state finals who was
nominated by her principal and coach and has demonstrated excellence in mental
attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability.
Hill has
helped lead Munster to four consecutive state finals appearances including
runner-up finishes in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Mustangs finished third on
Saturday.
During the morning
semifinal round, Hill became the winningest girls singles player in state history capturing her 101st
victory. She finished her freshman and sophomore years unbeaten, finished third
in state singles as a junior and is currently undefeated as a senior with next
week’s state singles tournament looming.
Hill has
been an A/B Honor Roll student at Munster in three of her four prep years. She
plans to study Marketing and Economics at Coastal Carolina University.
She is the
daughter of Stephen and Sheila Hill of Munster.
Indiana
Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA’s corporate
partner, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Munster High School in the name of
Hill.
VSN MEANS ACTION PHOTOGRAPHY
Visit our
friends at Visual Sports Network, the IHSAA’s official photographer for all state
championship events and one of the leading action photographers in the