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Ocean City Today June 3, 2022
Page 60
Decatur tennis trio plays well during state tourney By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (June 3, 2022) The three Stephen Decatur tennis players who competed in the MPSSAA 2A state championship tournament, held Thursday and Saturday at Wilde Lake Tennis Center, were overall pleased with their performance on the big stage. Senior Noah Fisher finished runner-up in the 2A state singles division. “I played very strong in all my games. Even in the finals I thought I played well,” he said. Fisher won his state quarterfinals match, 6-2, 6-0. He then outscored his semifinals opponent, 6-1, 6-0. “I kept the ball in play and made them miss shots,” he said. “I felt good going into my matches. I never took them for granted. They were very good opponents.” Fisher faced a tough opponent – Rohan Bhat of Poolesville – in the finals and lost, 6-1, 6-0. “I thought I played my best tennis of the season. My opponent was just better than me that day,” Fisher said. “He was the best I’ve ever played. He was a great player.” Fisher, two-time regional champion and the 2021 state singles titleholder, said it was just an accomplishment to make it to the finals two years in a row. “This season was definitely one of my most successful [outscoring opponents 8-0 all spring]. I think my career was very successful and I really enjoyed it,” said Fisher, who will play tennis for Frostburg State University. “We made great strides. The season was tons of fun and we made tons of memories. I’m going to miss them when I’m gone.” Sophomores Matt Beck and David Janney won their state quarterfinals, 6-1, 6-2. They lost in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-2. “We went out strong and played really well in the first match,” Beck said. “We played against a good team in our second match and just didn’t play our best. Playing back-to-back matches was the most tennis we’ve played in a day, against good opponents.” “You’re not going to play your best game every single match,” Janney added. “In the quarterfinals the first game was a little rough, but as we kept going we got into a groove. The more I kept hitting my shots the more confident I got, the same with Matt.
“We were just a little off in the second match. They played different than anyone else does, the way they moved around the court,” he added. “It was unexpected. We tried to change things up in the second set to adjust. It was definitely the best competition we’ve see all season.” Beck thought the entire state experience was exciting. “There were so many amazing tennis players in one tournament,” he said. “It was the first big tournament I’ve been at and it was cool to see all the talent. Hopefully next year we’ll do just as good or even better.” “When we first won doubles at regionals we were so satisfied and anything from that point forward was just icing on top,” Janney said. The duo, who have been playing doubles together for two seasons, are pleased with their performance and are looking forward to next year. “Overall, the whole season was good for us. We showed what we can do,” Beck said. “Hopefully we’ll be back [to states] next year.” “I’m excited for next year. We went this far as sophomores and if we work hard I feel pretty confident we can do just as good, or better, and have a chance to win states,” Janney said. Coach Steve Berquist thought his players performed well at states. “For sophomores to win their first round is unbelievable. Unfortunately they played the first seed in the semifinals, but they did great,” he said. “And Noah made a run for the finals where he faced the sixth-ranked kid in the state in all classifications. He was definitely the best tennis player I’ve seen. I was proud of Noah. He got to the state championship match his junior and senior year. “He had a great run. He was a great captain and a great players,” Berquist continued. “I never saw him lose a match until states. He will be greatly missed.” Both the Decatur boys’ and girls’ teams had successful seasons. The program captured its first regional championship title since 1994. According to coaches Jamie Greenwood and Berquist, it was the first time in the program’s history that Decatur players were represented in all five events – boys’ and girls’ singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions. The boys’ squad also won the Bayside Conference title, the first since 2009. The boys finished with an overall
PHOTO COURTESY STEVE BERQUIST
Stephen Decatur senior Noah Fisher, center, competed in the singles division of the MPSSAA 2A state championship tournament, held Thursday and Saturday at Wilde Lake Tennis Center, and sophomores Matt Beck, right, and David Janney battled in doubles competition.
record of 13-2. They went undefeated in conference play. The only two losses were to Worcester Preparatory School. The team graduates four starters – Fisher, co-captain Ben Johnson, Evan Ritz and Ethan Hansford. “It’s the best season we’ve had since I’ve been coaching (25 years). We’ve never been Bayside and region champs in the same year,” Berquist said. “It was one of the most enjoyable seasons I’ve had. Winning is part of it, but it was mostly because of the kids and how great they were.” Although the team will graduate four, Berquist said he has a solid group to build with for next season. The girls’ squad went 10-2 in con-
ference play, 10-5 overall. “We did really well. We grew tremendously as a team from start to finish,” Greenwood said. “There were some girls who really blossomed as tennis players and really just learned. They were like sponges. They worked to get better every day.” The team didn’t have any seniors this year. “They’ll all be back and I’m excited about that,” Greenwood said. “This year was such a success. We only lost a few matches, and a lot of them were close. It’s much more valuable to be in close matches to grow toward next year. I think we’ve got a good shot to compete for the Bayside title next year.”
Decatur pole vaulter takes second place at state meet By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (June 3, 2022) Stephen Decatur pole vaulter Owen Mielnik capped off his senior year and high school career with a second-place finished in the MPSSAA 3A state championship meet, last Saturday at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover.
Mielnik pole vaulted 13 feet 6 inches to take the number two spot. Although he didn’t reach the height he was shooting for, Mielnik was still pleased with a second-place finish in the state. “I didn’t jump my best; I was hoping to get 14 feet or higher,” he said. “I wish I could have done better. I See MIELNIK Page 61
