Doherty dominates District 11 tournament with depth

When it comes to girls’ tennis, Doherty's strength lies in its numbers.

The host Spartans were dominant in round-robin play on Friday afternoon, winning 27 of 28 matches to easily capture the District 11 Tournament crown, showcasing the depth that could lead the team to unprecedented heights.

The four doubles teams don’t get as much recognition as the singles players, but they have quietly amassed some staggering statistics en route to helping Doherty to within one duel win of its first undefeated regular season and 5A Metro title.

“The depth of our team is remarkable,” Doherty coach Cheri Rogers said. “If we’re going up against a team with some really strong singles players, I can always count on the doubles to stay tough.”

Tough is an understatement. The four Doherty doubles teams are a combined 32-2 in league matches this season. The No. 1 doubles team of seniors Marcia Nygaard and Claire Woodward is 9-0.

“It’s not about us winning individually, it’s about the team winning as a whole,” said Nygaard, who along with Woodward went 4-0 on Friday. “I think this year we’re all more experienced, and that has contributed to our depth.”

No. 2 doubles Lindsay Geving and Teela Andrews are 8-0 on the season, and also went 4-0 on Friday. Geving doesn’t mind that the doubles teams aren’t in the spotlight as much as the singles players.

“The singles players might get more credit, but it’s just fun for all of us to play together and cheer for each other,” said Geving, a junior who is playing her first year of high school tennis. “This team is just a blast to be on.”

No. 3 doubles Christi Makings and Tasia Paukovich, and No. 4 doubles Alex Ilse and Regan Waneka, both went 4-0 on Friday as well. Add No. 2 singles Elise Cimino and No. 3 singles Allie Wilson both going 4-0 and it was complete Spartan dominance.

Coronado had a solid performance as one of three 4A schools in the event along with Mitchell and Wasson, competing well with 5A Doherty, Fountain-Fort Carson and Palmer. The Cougars came in second after going 18-10.

“I think our girls did a great job today, we won some matches today that we had lost throughout the season,” Coronado coach Doug DeWitt said. “We keep improving and hopefully this can carry through into the next two weeks.”

Palmer No. 1 singles Adriana Wojakowska cruised in her four matches, winning 32 of 34 games in the eight-game-per-match format.