Sharks serve up a state title

Boys tennis carries wave of momentum through state tournament

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Ponte Vedra High won the boys tennis Class 3A state championship following a 4-3 victory over St. Petersburg in the final matchup April 26.

Adam Logan wound up securing the state title effort with a thrilling 10-point tiebreaker to give the Sharks the advantage it needed.

Both the boys and girls Ponte Vedra High School tennis teams won their respective regional championships April 21 to advance to the state finals in Seminole County.

The Shark boys entered the state tournament as the No. 2 seed and looked the part throughout, not losing a match until the championship tilt.

They opened with a 4-0 victory against No. 7 Barron Collier in the state quarterfinals and then followed it up another 4-0 win over top-seeded Niceville in the state semifinals.

The Sharks championship game opponent St. Petersburg was the tournament’s No. 5 seed.

After convincing performances enroute to a regional title, the girls team also entered the state tournament as a No. 2 seed but suffered an early exit following a 4-0 loss to No. 7 Barron Collier in the state quarterfinals.

Although the Sharks were forces to be reckoned with heading into the team competition, they will also represent District 3-3A in the individual state tournament.

Senior Andrew Kelley qualified for state as a singles competitor, while he will also team up with fellow senior captain Callum Searle in the doubles bracket.

Kelley and Searle present a veteran presence and loads of experience that they will look to lean on along their path to a possible state title.

Junior captain Isabella Toby will look to make a run for the Sharks as an individual and will also compete in the doubles format alongside senior Kathleen Hawkins.

The Shark girls team finished the season with a record of 14-5, while the boys had a record of 18-1.

Both squads had seen their share of victories heading into the state finals as the girls had won 61% of their matches and the boys had won a mind-boggling 85% of its matches.

In the 113 matches the boys competed in through the regional tournament, they had won 97 times, as opposed to only 16 losses.

Ponte Vedra Sharks, tennis, state champions, FHSAA