Chargers emerge CPIC 1-A tournament champs
By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 23, 2011 12:49 PM
"Are you 100 percent sure?" asked Katherine Roethling as she unwrapped a piece of candy.
"I'll check again," said Wayne Country Day head coach Jo Ann Logan.
Logan flipped through the pages of results, silently added the numbers in her head and snuck away without answering Roethling's query.
But Logan knew.
A long-awaited and satisfying victory over an archrival finally fell into the Chargers' court early Friday evening. Wayne Country Day seized the 2011 Coastal Plains Independent 1-A Conference girls' tennis tournament championship with a 12-11 triumph over nemesis Greenfield at Wayne Community College.
The teams shared the regular-season CPIC crown.
"We wanted this so bad and it pushed everybody because we really wanted to beat Greenfield," said Mack Thompson, one of two WCDS seniors. "Last year, we tied with them for the tournament (championship) and it always seems like they just get by us ... one or two (points).
"We proved (today) we are the good team that everyone thinks we are."
Indeed.
Thompson, fellow senior Katherine Roethling, junior Sarah Best and first-year varsity starter Gianna Democko rocked their respective opponents in singles and doubles play. Best-Thompson claimed the CPIC tournament crown at No. 1 doubles, while Democko-Roethling emerged the No. 2 doubles champions.
Neither Democko nor Best lost a game during their respective championship runs at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Democko seized the CPIC player-of-the-year plaque, while Best captured the CPIC tournament Most Valuable Player award.
The quartet garnered all-CPIC accolades.
"This is when tennis became a team sport today," said Logan, who was named CPIC co-coach-of-the-year along with Greenfield's Will Cobb.
"Everybody contributed, particularly the players at number four, five and six who contributed key points that gave us the match. My bread and butter have been my one, two and three all year, but the four, five and six just came through beautifully."
Thompson finished runner-up at No. 3 singles, while Roethling emerged runner-up at No. 4 singles. Teammate Mollie Catherine McDonald, who dealt with heart issues late Thursday evening, bounced back to take second at No. 5 singles.
McDonald-Meredith Roethling claimed second at No. 3 doubles.
Before the players arrived Friday morning for a warm-up session, they each received a text message from Logan on Thursday evening. She told them how much she had enjoyed the season, and that she loved and appreciated each player.
"It's a good group of girls," said Logan, who grinned proudly as Thompson and Roethling had their picture taken with the conference tournament cup. "I'm very lucky."