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Storylines to watch for Cincinnati's 2023 high school girls sectional tennis tournaments

james weber, cincinnati enquirer
·5 min read

The Ohio High School Athletic Association girls tennis sectional tournaments begin next week.

In Divisions I and II, the players are split into two locations: Mason High School and the Lindner Tennis Center, home of the professional Western & Southern Open.

In general, the top players and teams including the ones who advanced the furthest in last year’s postseason will compete at the Lindner Center. The start date for those brackets has not been announced as of Friday afternoon. Mason’s Division II bracket starts Tuesday and Division I bracket on Wednesday.

The top four finishers in each sectional tournament advance to the Southwest District tournament, which begins Oct. 12 at the Lindner Center.

Here is a look at the top players in the sectional draw and stories to watch next week.

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Sophia Thompson of Indian Hill High School strikes against Turpin High School at Flight A of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association's Coaches Classic Sept. 23, 2023.
Sophia Thompson of Indian Hill High School strikes against Turpin High School at Flight A of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association's Coaches Classic Sept. 23, 2023.

Indian Hill's Thompson seeks another chance at a state championship

Indian Hill sophomore Sophia Thompson will try to get back to the Division II state singles finals, where she finished as state runner-up last season while playing for Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

Thompson is the No. 1 seed in the Lindner Center bracket. She was sectional and district champion and lost 6-0, 6-3 in the state final to Bexley’s Amiya Bowles, who is now a sophomore.

Thompson leads a strong group of Brave contenders in the sectional bracket.

Junior Caroline Brown, is the No. 2 seed to Thompson in the Lindner draw. She reached the state tournament round of 16 last season.

Mckenzie Stoddard, a senior, is the fourth seed in the Lindner draw.

Brooke Arington, a senior, is playing doubles this season with senior Lillian Dwyer in the postseason after reaching the state round of 16 in singles last year. Arington and Dwyer are the top seed in the Lindner bracket.

Sisters Cassie and Lexi Larsen are the three seed in doubles after reaching the state round of 16 in 2022.

Mariemont's Ella Malafa hits the ball during Flight B of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association Coaches Classic tournament Sept. 23, 2023 at Sycamore High School.
Mariemont's Ella Malafa hits the ball during Flight B of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association Coaches Classic tournament Sept. 23, 2023 at Sycamore High School.

Other Division II seeds

CHCA teammates Lucy Snyder, a junior, and freshman Corrine Labin are seeded second in doubles in the Mason bracket.

Cincinnati Country Day senior Rana Arebi is the three seed in singles in the Lindner bracket.

The Mariemont doubles team of senior Ella Malafa and junior Lucy Glassmeyer are the second seed in doubles in the Lindner bracket. Mariemont teammates Cece Kuwatch and Veronica Drake, both seniors, are the fourth seed.

In the Mason bracket, Badin teammates Caroline Boyle and Emmy Demmel are the top two seeds in singles. Boyle, a junior, was third in the district singles tourney last year and reached the state quarterfinals.

Seven Hills junior Brogan Bells is the third seed in singles at Mason, and Waynesville junior Emily Sauser is the fourth seed.

In the Mason doubles bracket, the top seed is Summit Country Day juniors Maggie Marburger and Katelyn Bastos. Seven Hills seniors Leila Blackshaw-Brown and Meha Gaitonde are the three seed. Madeira seniors Sloane Warner and Paige Graham are the four seed.

Turpin's Sarah Clark hits a shot in last week's Coaches Classic. She is the top seed in her sectional singles bracket.
Turpin's Sarah Clark hits a shot in last week's Coaches Classic. She is the top seed in her sectional singles bracket.

Clark, Lint return after qualifying for state in singles

Turpin senior Sarah Clark and Oak Hills senior Morgan Lint are the only returning Division I state qualifiers in the sectional singles draw.

Clark, the Eastern Cincinnati Conference champion in first singles, is the top seed in the Lindner bracket. She was third in the district tournament last year and reached the state quarterfinals.

Oak Hills' Morgan Lint returns the ball during the GCTCA Coaches Classic at Sycamore High School Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
Oak Hills' Morgan Lint returns the ball during the GCTCA Coaches Classic at Sycamore High School Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.

Lint is the two seed to Clark. She was fourth at districts last year and lost in the round of 16 at state.

Clark’s Turpin teammates Ellen Benintendi and Brooke Malone, both seniors, are the three seed in doubles at the Lindner Center. Malone was the second singles champion in the ECC tournament.

Mason Comets reload

Despite heavy graduation losses from last year, the deep roster of the Mason Comets will make another impact in the postseason.

Leading the way is Addison Cassidy, a sophomore who was Division II state doubles runner-up last year while playing for CHCA. This year, she is the top seed in singles in the Mason bracket.

Mason freshman Chloe Zhang is the four seed in the bracket.

Mason has the top doubles seeds in its home bracket. Sophomore Emma Wagner and junior Pratyusha Chauduri are the top seed, and the second seed is sophomore Ana Gotike and freshman Saavi Reddy.

Chloe Zhang and Ayumi Kashiwakura of Mason High School celebrate after a well-earned point against Indian Hill High School at Flight A of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association's Coaches Classic Sept. 23, 2023.
Chloe Zhang and Ayumi Kashiwakura of Mason High School celebrate after a well-earned point against Indian Hill High School at Flight A of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association's Coaches Classic Sept. 23, 2023.

Doubles returners lead other Division I seeds

St. Ursula senior Emily Jennewein was a state quarterfinalist in doubles last year after finishing second in the district tournament. She is teaming with senior Elle Schuermann this year, and they are the top seed in the Lindner bracket.

Walnut Hills sophomore Irisa Poompanit was also a state qualifier in doubles last year. She will have a new partner this year in her sister, Perasa Poompanit, a freshman. They are the two seed in the Lindner bracket.

As noted, Turpin is the three seed in doubles and the four seed is Lakota East junior Reagan Gilbert and senior Abigail Price.

Elle Schuermann and Emily Jennewein of St. Ursula Academy await Mason High School's server at Flight A of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association's Coaches Classic Sept. 23, 2023.
Elle Schuermann and Emily Jennewein of St. Ursula Academy await Mason High School's server at Flight A of the Greater Cincinnati Tennis Coaches Association's Coaches Classic Sept. 23, 2023.

Also in the Mason bracket, Ursuline senior Brooklyn Zappin and Neha Arcot are the three seeds. Sycamore sophomore Allison Sayles and freshman Caitlin Meyer are the four seed.

In the Lindner bracket, the three seed in singles is Loveland sophomore Marlee Fleming and the four seed is Milford senior Jasmin Mu.

In the Mason bracket, Seton senior Ella Vatter is the two seed behind Addison Cassidy. Sycamore sophomore Lisa Kai is the three seed.

2023 Cincinnati league tennis team champions

Here are the regular-season team champions in each league that are available.

Miami Valley Conference: Summit Country Day 9-0 (12-5 overall).

Cincinnati Hills League: Indian Hill 4-0 (14-0 overall).

Southern Buckeye-American: Clinton-Massie 10-0 (17-1). In the league tourney, Addison Swope was first singles champion. Mikalya Wonderly/Brylie Green first doubles champion

Southern Buckeye-National: Blanchester 9-1 (10-7).

Southwest Ohio Conference: Talawanda 2-0 (8-10).

Girls Greater Catholic League: St. Ursula 7-0 (14-5).

Eastern Cincinnati Conference: Turpin 8-0 (12-3).

Greater Miami Conference: Mason 8-0 (12-3).

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio girls high school tennis: 2023 Cincinnati sectional play