By Mike Benischek, Poughkeepsie Journal
It didn’t take Bob Mayerhofer long to give his list of contenders for this season’s Mid-Hudson Athletic League girls tennis title.
Spackenkill High School’s Sophia He hits a backhand during a match against Highland on Oct. 5, 2011. After taking 2012 off, He will play first singles for the Spartans this season. / Darryl Bautista/Poughkeepsie Journal
“The discussion kind of begins and ends with Spackenkill,” the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School tennis coach said. “With that one-two punch they have, I think I can honestly say they’ll be the strongest team in Section 9.”
A year ago, the Spartans won their 10th MHAL crown in the last 12 years, and Vanessa Lam-Tran was one of the best first-singles players in the section, with an 8-0 regular-season record. This year, the junior will play second singles, behind Sophia He, who returns to the team after taking 2012 off. As a freshman in 2011, He went 8-1 for Spackenkill at first singles, and placed third in Section 9 to reach states.
The tandem is just a part of what Mayerhofer described as “one of the strongest singles divisions in the state,” in the MHAL. Over in Section 1, the crop of singles talent is strong as well, led by a pair of John Jay standouts, Josephine Tai and Pia Krishnamurti.
Spackenkill coach Jackie Klein said the key to the Spartans’ prolonged success is depth. The Spartans also return half of an undefeated first-doubles team from last year, senior Sabrina Choi, who will pair this year with classmate Arya Mekkat.
“We have strong players right down through the doubles,” she said, noting that having two elite first-singles players provides “a good head start. I don’t know if other schools have people like that this year, but we do know that Wallkill does.”
The Panthers boast two-time defending MHAL singles champion Olga Ostrovetsky, the 2011 Section 9 champion and 2012 runner-up. While coaches anticipated two-time MHAL champion Ariel Haber’s possible return after playing volleyball a year ago, Kristen LaMonica started at second singles as Wallkill opened its season on Tuesday.
New Paltz will return its own dynamic duo, with first-singles junior Julia Cohen and second-singles senior Alice Lee, who teamed up to win the MHAL doubles title last year after combining to go 15-2 in singles during the regular season.
“Most teams have a good first player, and two’s that are really good. You have to have three to win a match,” New Paltz coach Scott Taylor said. “That’s what’s going to win you a championship. It always helps to have the best player in the league, but to win a championship you have to have depth.”
In Section 1, John Jay hasn’t had to look far to replace arguably the best player in its league. While the Patriots graduated Dorothy Tai, after an undefeated regular season at first singles, they still have her sister Josephine Tai, who was likewise undefeated as a sophomore in second singles. Krishnamurti, undefeated at third singles last year, also returns. While coach Will Davis said Krishnamurti has challenged Josephine Tai for the top spot in preseason, she’ll begin the season at second singles.
And while Davis expects big things for this year’s team, the Patriots have only one senior on the roster, Meghan O’Keefe, who will team with Likitha Kumar at first doubles.
“We’re solid. We’re really going to be good top to bottom,” Davis said. “We’re going to get stronger as the year goes. … Once we roll into next year, we’re going to be as tough as any other team around here.”
Rival Arlington is also looking down the road, with freshman Maranda Sears starting at first singles in what coach Gail Lynch called “a rebuilding year,” as is Roosevelt, which returns its youthful starting team from a year ago, with sophomore Jessica Schroedl at first singles.
“The No. 1 players throughout the league are as strong as they’ve ever been,” Mayerhofer said, “so it’s going to be a tough road.”
