BINGHAMTON – While Vestal stole the top crown of being named the 2017 Section IV Class B team champion, it was the Norwich Purple Tornado – a team who has been prepping for this day all season long, and far before that – as Norwich brought home not only a set of champions but a second-place finish as a team as well.
Playing at Recreation Park on Thursday, the Class B Section IV singles and doubles competition pitting some of the best high school talent in New York State against each other – with win or go home implications. If one were to take first or second-place, those finishers, in singles and doubles would advance to next weekend’s NY State Qualifier tournament.
Advancing to said tournament next weekend and capping off a stellar senior year, will be the two Purple Tornado senior teammates, Caroline Stewart and Megan Burke.
Notably, Norwich finished in second-place as a team, with 31 team points scored – second to Vestal at 38 – but leading third-place Maine-Endwell at 22.
After receiving a first round bye, due to a high opening seed, Stewart and Burke battled their way to three back-to-back wins – claiming the Section IV Class B crown with a 7-5 and 7-5 victory over Audrey Burke and Kristina Haller of Maine-Endwell.
In the quarterfinals round, Stewart and Burke easily disposed of Hannah Kelley and Lauren Angelone of Owego, downing the duo at 6-1 and 6-0.
The semifinals proved to be a little more challenging for the talented Tornado duo, but managed to win yet another at 6-2 and 6-2, besting Vestal’s Cate Reynolds and Liz Hartley.
Cate Reynolds and Liz Hartley advanced to the finals off of a semifinal win over Norwich’s second doubles team of Ava Granquist and Riley Marsh.
Marsh and Ava Granquist secured their semifinal berth, also earning an opening round bye, with their quarterfinal win over Breona Bogart and Tessa Convertino of Johnson City at 6-0 and 6-1. In the semifinals, Marsh and Ava Granquist succumbed to the Maine-Endwell duo at 6-3 and 6-1.
In the singles competition, Norwich made two entries with Olivia Granquist and Natalie Benenati but both would be knocked from the Section IV Class B tournament in the quarterfinal round.
Both Tornado netters saw action in the opening round as Olivia Granquist earned a win over Tala Al Kuisi of Johnson City in straight sets at 6-0 and 6-0; and Natalie Benenati defeated Elise Westcott of M-E in three sets at 7-5, 5-7, and 6-0.
In the quarterfinals, Angelique de Rouen of the Vestal Golden Bears, top seed and eventual singles champion, booted Olivia Granquist from the tournament with a 6-2 and 6-1 loss.
Natalie Braman of Owego, second-seed and runner-up to de Rouen, defeated Norwich’s Benenati in straight sets at 6-2 and 6-2.
Notably, de Rouen defeated Braman in the Section IV Class B singles finals in straight sets at 6-3 and 6-1.
With the singles win, and subsequent third-place finish from Anika Mott, Vestal wins the Section 4 Class B Tennis team competition for the second straight year – with de Rouen and Mott scoring the deciding points.
All third-place winners will advance to compete in the B3/C3 Challenge at the BTC on Wednesday, October 18, at 3 p.m.
