The Scranton Prep girls tennis team poses with their District 2 Class 2A championship after defeating Wyoming Seminary on Wednesday.
Kevin Carroll | Abington Journal
Scranton Prep officially ended Wyoming Seminary’s reign as Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association girls’ tennis champion during the 2022 District 2 championship match.
The Classics followed up this year’s district title repeat by bringing the state Class 2A championship back to District 2 with four tournament wins, culminating in a 3-1 victory over Lower Moreland Oct. 28 at the Hershey Racquet Club.
The Scranton Prep singles lineup of Alyssa Wigley, Lily Lengyel and Emma Cuck went unbeaten in the tournament to secure the second state championship by a district team in the past three years.
Wigley defeated Hannah Kideckel 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Lengyel came back for a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Rebecca Kideckel in the second spot. Cuck topped Abigail Yanovitsky, 6-1, 6-2.
Ella Cohen-Grace Devine were still playing at No. 1 doubles when their match was halted because the team outcome had been determined. Hannah LaCoe-Nicole Krakovich completed the Scranton Prep lineup.
Kendra Croker went 22-1 in her first season as a head coach at the program where she was once the on-court leader. Scranton Prep did not lose an in-state match.
The Classics opened the state tournament Oct. 24 with a 3-2 win over District 11 champion Moravian Academy in Easton.
The top eight teams in the state headed to Hershey where Scranton Prep defeated Sewickley Academy 4-1 in the Oct. 27 quarterfinals. The singles players all won in straight sets with Lengyel and Cuck battling through 7-5 first sets and Wigley winning more comfortably, including 6-0 in the second set.
Scranton Prep handed District 10 champion Erie Cathedral Prep its first loss 3-2 in the state semifinals before winning the championship later the same day.
Abington Heights battled Central Dauphin the state Class 3A opener Oct. 24 before falling short, 3-2, at the Birchwood Tennis and Fitness Center in Clarks Summit.
District 2 Finals
WILKES-BARRE — The District 2 girls team tennis titles stayed right where they were for another season with repeat title performances by Abington Heights and Scranton Prep Oct. 4 at Kirby Park.
Abington Heights won its sixth straight title in Class 3A, avenging a late-season upset loss by beating Valley View, 3-1. Scranton Prep downed top-seeded Wyoming Seminary, 3-1, in a Class A meeting of conference champions.
Nevaeh Vondrell and Sammy Rosenstein weathered fierce competition from their Valley View opponents Emily Moyles and Emma Wood to lock down another District 2 trophy for the Comets.
With Abington Heights winning two of the three singles matches, the Comets needed just one doubles win.
Valley View pushed both doubles matches to the third set.
After fighting back to force a tiebreak in the third set, Vondrell and Rosenstein may have saved their best tennis of the day for last, riding a few strong serves to a 7-3 tiebreak victory and the championship-clinching point.
“It’s really fun to have an exciting match like that, and our girls played great,” said Abington Heights coach Kelly Arp. “They were really steady and made good shots.”
Susan Arp and Sona Hanumali won the singles points for Abington Heights.
Prep jumped out in front with victories in two of the three singles matches, Emma Cuck beating Sem’s Kimi Li and Lily Lengyel picking up a win after Lizzie Weaver had to retire down a set, dealing with some fatigue caused by the heat.
A point in doubles from the tandem of Ella Cohen and Sophie Haus clinched the championship for the Classics, bringing the No. 2 doubles match to an early halt.
“It’s great for the girls, especially when you’re beating a team like Sem who’s also got so many accolades,” Croker said. “It makes the victory even sweeter.”
