Heading into this season, Byram Hills knew it would be a targeted team after winning the first-ever New York State Division II championship last year.
The team handled that pressure well throughout the year and defended that title, culminating with a 4-1 victory over Cold Spring Harbor in the state championship.
“This is amazing. We weren’t sure if we would be able to do it again, but this means so much to us,” said Byram Hills’ captain Chloe Bernstein, who won the New York State individual doubles title the week before. “Everyone came in focused on their individual matches and it’s just great to be able to do this as a team again.”
While Bernstein would lose her match at first singles in the finals to Cold Spring Harbor’s Nicolette Loeffler, her teammates stepped up on the other four courts to secure the victory. Jenna Kleynerman, Bernstein’s doubles partner in the individual championships, notched a 6-4, 7-6(2) win at second singles, while Anika Bobra won 7-5, 7-6(5) at third singles.
In doubles, Daphne Bernstein & Justine Maresco posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the first doubles flight, while Jordyn Bernstein & Lily Anchin were 6-0, 6-3 winners at second doubles to finalize the scoring for Byram Hills.
“It’s pretty awesome. When we started making the run, our community got into it, and I can’t wait to celebrate with them,” said Byram Hills head coach Mike Racanelli. “We’re so happy to be in this position. There are a lot of great teams out there who fought to be in this spot, but we were the only team able to finish with a win.”
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Brian Coleman Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com |
