Area Sports Roundup: Moraine Valley women’s tennis punches ticket to nationals

By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer

Moraine Valley’s women’s tennis team has some time to prepare for the NJCAA Division I national tournament.

They have about a half of a year to get ready for it.

The Cyclones qualified for the national tournament for the first time in seven years by winning the Region IV championship, held in Homewood and Palos Hills Oct. 7-8. The tourney will take place in May in Tyler, Texas.

“In the coming months there will be a lot of prep work,” Cyclones coach Matt Marusarz said. “We will be getting our team in the weight room, finding courts; but for now, we’re letting them enjoy the championship. That is priority No. 1.”

Moraine won by 5.5 points over Sauk Valley.

The first day of the tournament featured singles competition and it had to be moved to the Homewood-Flossmoor Racquet and Fitness Club because of inclement weather.

No. 2 singles player Simona Tomczak (Oak Lawn), No. 3 Hannah Markiewicz (Mother McAuley), No. 4 Aubree Schultz and No. 6 Reagan Cameron (Oak Lawn) won championships while No. 1 Izzy Slezakova (Stagg) and No. 5 Cate Gerl both finished third. It is Cameron’s first year playing tennis.

Day 2 was played at MVCC with the doubles competition and No. 2 Schultz/Gerl and No. 3 Tomczak/Erica Chapan won championships.

Marusarz was named the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Region IV Coach of the Year.

“It’s an unreal feeling,” he said. “Coaching college was already a big step for me and my coaching milestones, but winning a regional title is another level.

“I am very proud and grateful for this team. I also need to give huge credit to Assistant Coach Dave [Souza]. I won Coach of the Year, but I wish it could be attributed to him as well. He’s been a huge help and asset to Moraine Valley and the team.”

Tennis stars head to state
Sectionals were kind for some area tennis teams and players heading to the state meet, which opens Thursday, Oct. 20 at various sites in the northwest suburbs.

Sandburg won its eighth straight sectional crown on Friday and Saturday in Orland Park. Class 2A sectional singles champ Josie Canellis, the doubles  champs of Neela Brown-Tamryn Leonard and runner up doubles team Alexa Petcu-Samantha Pagnucci all head to state.

On a side note, Sandburg coach Brian Ostrander received more good news when his daughter, Jordan, qualified for state for Andrew at the Lincoln-Way East Sectional.

Richards’ Meghan McSweeney, Stagg’s Vicky Lipinski and Marist’s Elena Ruzevich qualified for singles while Mother McAuley’s Mairead Doran-Maddy McNamara and Richards’ Julie Casey-Violet McIntyre also qualified at Sandburg.

In Class 1A, Nazareth Academy took first place at the Joliet Catholic Academy Tournament. Singles player Layden Alexander took second to qualify for state while the championship doubles team of Audrey Moster-Mackenzie Hyland and runnerup Diana Anos-McCahey Hardy qualified.

At Marian Central, Chicago Christian’s Meghan Tiemans-Lili JaBaay qualified for state with a fourth-place finish.

X-Country Champs
Sandburg’s girls won their first SouthWest Suburban Conference Blue cross country title since 2009 with freshman Lindsey Gerhardstein finishing second with a time of 17:57.50 seconds at Lockport. Stagg sophomore Amanda Pocica was the top Red runner with an 18:24.30.

Sandburg’s boys, the defending Class 3A state champion, also won at Lockport with Grant Giblin (15:02.80) and Trent Anderson (15:18.80) finishing first and second respectively.

Richards won the South Suburban Red meet hosted by Reavis with Owen Forberg (15:39.0) and Josh Smith (16:48.0) finishing first and second respectively. Forberg broke the Bedford Park course record.

Reavis’s girls won the SSC Red with Mia Chavez (20:48.7) and freshman Delyanna Arocho finishing second and third. Argo junior Valeria Marquez Enriquez won the meet with a 20:28.8.

Riverside-Brookfield won the boys Metro Suburban Blue with Cooper Marrs (14:48.0) and Jack O’Brien (15:34.1) taking first and second.

Chicago Christian tied Wheaton St. Francis for first in the Metro Suburban Blue girls race with Anna Enderele taking first with an 18:30.7.

At the West Suburban Gold meet in Hinsdale, Morton senior Isabela Garcia won with a 19:15.43.

Elite Seeds
The postseason opens for girls volleyball on Monday.

Last year, Mother McAuley, Nazareth and Chicago Christian made it to the state Final Four, and the area could get some strong representation once again.

This season, the Mighty Macs, Marist and Lyons are the top three seeds in the Class 4A Lyons sectional

De La Salle, St. Laurence and Evergreen Park are the top three seeds in the Class 3A St. Laurence Sectional. Defending 3A state champion Nazareth is seeded first in the Little Village Sectional.

In Class 2A, Chicago Christian drew the No. 1 seed in Sub-Sectional B of the North Lawndale Charter Sectional.