Varsity Tennis Teams Win 11th Straight District Titles

The boys’ and girls’ tennis teams each won their 11th straight district championship last week, as the girls’ team defeated Mast Academy and the boys’ team defeated Miami Jackson to maintain their dominance over the district.

Currently 6-3 on the season, the Lady Raiders are led by Sophia Fornaris ’21, Chiara von Gerlach ’20, Sofia Restrepo ’21, Katerina Navarro ’20 and Tory Hagenlocker ’22. Going into the district tournament, the Raiders faced stiff competition, including the defending 1A and 3 state champions.

Head Coach Kelly Mulligan said, “Our regular season schedule was tough but I know it has helped the girls with their confidence and will pay dividends as we get deep into the playoffs.”

Gulliver’s boys’ team is currently 7-1 and are led by Nikita Kolesnikov ’19, Nicholas Gore ’19, Yannik Rahman ’23, Karim Rahman ’20, Alvaro Gonzalez-Rico ’19 and Eric Brook ’21. The Raiders have gone up against some strong competition this season as many of their opponents boast players who have already signed with Division 1 tennis programs.

“The biggest success this season has been the team camaraderie amongst the players,” said Head Coach Fernando Mateu. “This has been a key factor to why we are having such a strong season.”

The girls’ and boys’ tennis teams now shift their focus to the FHSAA 2A regional playoffs where they aspire to make a run at the 2A state tennis championship. Regional semifinals are slated for Tuesday, April 23, and regional finals will take place on Thursday, April 25.