BRADENTON - Both the Class 4A, District 8 boys and girls tennis tournaments came down to the wire, and the boys tournament still isn’t decided.
Sarasota Riverview ran away with the boys championship, but Countryside and Palm Harbor University tied for second with 16 points. The teams will play today at PHU in an eight-game pro set match to determine the district runnerup.
The girls team championship was determined by No. 2 doubles between East Lake and Riverview. East Lake’s No. 1 doubles team of Angel Deng and Kim Herrock defeated Riverview 6-3, 6-2, but the Eagles’ No. 2 team of Rehaana Butt and Ali Mae Gleason lost to Riverview 6-3, 6-2. That allowed the Rams to take the overall title 23-21. Countryside finished third with 10 points.
East Lake girls won the top three singles matches. Deng was the No. 1 singles winner for the second straight season after beating Countryside’s Shannon Wagner 6-2, 6-1. She is qualified to play in the state individual tournament. Herrock won at No. 2 singles and Butt won No. 3 singles.
“We gave an all-out effort, I’m very proud of them,” East Lake coach C.J. Obertuck said. “But we’re not done yet.”
East Lake will play Tuesday in the region semifinals.
The boys overall championship was dominated by Riverview, which swept all five singles finals and both doubles championships.
Countryside had a chance to win second place outright if one of its doubles teams had won. But the No. 1 team of Jordan Monosky and Martynas Lukosiunas and the No. 2 team of Aaron Carey and Chandler Walker both lost to Riverview.
Countryside had three players vying for individual titles. Monosky lost at No. 1 singles, Carey lost at No. 2, and Lukosiunas lost at No. 3.