Perrysburg’s Penelope Giammarco serves the ball at the Division I district tennis tournament. Giammarco and Watkins qualified as a doubles team to the state tournament. (Nicholas Huenefeld | Sentinel-Tribune)
By Nicholas Huenefeld
Special to the Sentinel-Tribune
PORT CLINTON — Perrysburg’s doubles tandem of Penelope Giammarco and Madison Watkins qualified to the Division I State Tournament after their runner-up finish at Saturday’s district tournament at the Von Thron-Hablitzel Tennis Center.
Giammarco and Watkins defeated Ashland’s Elena Hayes and Hannah Miller 6-0, 6-1 in Saturday’s semifinal round to qualify for the state tournament.
The top two singles players and doubles teams at the district tournament qualify for the OHSAA State Championships, which will be held Oct. 17-19 at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio.
“They’re very excited,” Perrysburg coach Kelly Carter said. “They played great. They were very loose and played their game the way they normally do.”
Although Giammarco and Watkins fell to Anthony Wayne’s Mara Boyd and Cora Langenderfer 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match, they met their goal of going to the state tournament.
“The score doesn’t indicate how close it was,” Carter said of her team’s title match performance. There was a lot of games that went to deuce over and over again. They just didn’t get some of the important points.”
For Watkins, the accomplishment means a bit more because she came up just one match short from qualifying for state last year, falling to Anthony Wayne in the district semifinals with her then doubles partner, Brianna Dunham.
Giammarco qualified for state last year as a singles player, falling in a tight 7-6, 6-3 opening round match to Avery Reed of Lewis Center Olentangy Orange.
“They were both disappointed to lose the second match today, but it was really positive that they are going to states,” Carter said. “I think that the goal would be to win a round. It’s really difficult to win at states, even one round, so that would be the goal. But just getting there is a huge accomplishment because only two teams get to go.”
Bowling Green’s Julia Barnett fell one step shy of state, losing a semifinal to Anthony Wayne’s Jillian To 6-3, 6-2. Northview’s Maddie Peisley, who swept her first three matches in the district tournament, defeated To for the championship.
“Julia played numerous aggressive, extended points,” BG assistant coach Rachel Barnett said. “She started out both sets up 2-1 and executed her game plan well, but credit to Jillian, who made some big plays and serves down the stretch.”
Barnett, who was named First Team All-District, concluded a career-best year as a junior for the back-to-back Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division champs.
“Julia had a great season for our program,” BG head coach Andy Drumm said. “Everyone is extremely proud of her and the effort. Hopefully Julia and the team will continue to make strides forward next season.”
Division I Singles
Semifinals
Jillian To (Anthony Wayne) d. Julia Barnett (BGHS) 6-3, 6-2
Maddie Peisley (Northview) d. Emma Reynolds (Madison) 6-0, 6-0
Championship
Peisley (Northview) d. To (Anthony Wayne) 6-1, 6-2
Division I Doubles
Semifinals
Penelope Giammarco/Madison Watkins (Perrysburg) d. Elena Hayes/Hannah Miller (Ashland) 6-0, 6-1
Mara Boyd/Cora Langenderfer (Anthony Wayne) d. Beth Miller/Emily Miller (Notre Dame) 6-2, 6-2
Championship
Boyd/Langenderfer (Anthony Wayne) d. Giammarco/Watkins 6-1, 6-2
