Oct. 11—Staff Report
Mickey Zheng and Gabby Montez closed their tennis season during the Division II district tournament Thursday at Springside Athletic Club in Akron.
Seniors Zheng, of Geneva, and Montez, of Madison, both lost first-round matches.
Zheng fell to Hawken’s Dani Foote, the district’s first seed in singles at the district, 6-0, 6-1.
“Mickey represented Geneva High School well,” Eagles coach Scott Torok said. “She’s a great year … two-time county player of the year, an integral part of a record-setting 21-1 Geneva girls tennis team.”
Zheng was proud of her high school tennis career.
“I played well [Thursday], Hawken was just better,” Zheng said. “I had so much fun throughout it all. I want to thank my all my coaches who motivated — and believed — in me … coach [Todd] Nassief, coach Kayla [Johnston], coach Brock [Ebersole, Geneva graduate], coach Janet [Yeagley], coach Torok, coach [Mike] Rose, coach [Jeff] Griffiths and the entire center court facility. I couldn’t have achieved this much without them.”
Zheng is looking to play tennis at Mount Union.
Montez dropped a 6-0, 6-0 decision to Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy senior Amy Beebe to end the season.
“To me, just getting the opportunity and the chance to say I made districts is something I will never forget, but something I am so proud of myself for because it goes to show all those bad matches paid off and taught me so many lessons,” Montez said. “I’ve come such a long way in the past four years and I couldn’t have asked for better coaches and the support of not only my family, but the team.”
Blue Streaks coach Keith Brainard is proud of Montez’s accomplishments.
“Gabby had a wonderful season this year, finishing 15-7,” Brainard said. “She worked incredibly hard during the offseason to get to where she is now, and has earned everything she has achieved.”
Montez didn’t start playing tennis until her freshman year.
“She has come a long way in a relatively short time,” Brainard said. “To qualify for districts after just a few years of playing the sport is an impressive achievement.”
Although nothing is confirmed yet, Monez is planning on playing at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike starting in the fall.
