Stowe reigns; Mas, Kim, Morton and Nguyen earn breakthrough tennis titles
The Vermont high school individual tennis state tournament saw three new champions crowned the state’s best.
BFA-St. Albans’ Aroa SanJuan Mas stunned the girls tournament with unmatched patience. While Nathan Kim of Brattleboro and the Burlington pair of Nevin Morton and Khiem Nguyen secured redemption in the boys title matches.
Stowe’s Gabby Doehla and Kate Tilgner continued their reign as the state’s best girls doubles team.
For more on Saturday’s title matches from Burlington Tennis Club and Leddy Park read on below.
Stowe girls tennis claims dynasty
For Stowe, girls tennis good things come in threes and pairs.
The Raiders’ tandem of Gabby Doehla and Kate Tilgner claimed their third consecutive girls doubles championship with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 triumph against Champlain Valley.
Playing on Burlington Tennis Club’s clay, the tournament’s top seed became just the second duo to win three straight titles. South Burlington’s Jackie Smullen and Jamie Sheahan earned a three-peat from 2004-2006.
“It’s kind of unreal considering we came in the first time and we did not expect to go past the first round,” Tilgner said. “It’s an unreal feeling that we've now done it three times.”
The pair were perfect through the three-day tournament, never surrendering more than four points in a set. The dominance, though, doesn’t compare to when the duo first teamed to win the state tournament as freshmen.
“We were definitely not picked to win it at all and that one we are just so proud of,” Tilgner said of the first championship.
While the two, now juniors, relish each title the first one has kept them level.
“When we first entered this tournament, we were such underdogs, but I just can't believe we've done it three times,” Doehla said. “We're definitely a lot more confident in our doubles’ strategy and communication, but we always go in with the mentality thinking we're underdogs.”
Full results:Matchups, results for the 2023 individual state tournaments
Stowe coach Amy Picotte attributed the remarkable communication to the team’s hard work and ability to flip from talented singles players to doubles.
“It's a really beautiful, beautiful pairing to watch,” Picotte said. “They're very focused and I think they concentrate really well. It's point-by-point and after each point, they go back, reset and they talk to each other. It’s just sort of this natural thing.”
The doubles crown was Stowe’s fifth championship since 1996.
“I know it’s three years in a row they’ve won a championship and it sounds amazing, but it really is about the communication on the court,” Picotte said of the friends.
Champlain Valley’s Addie Maurer and Ariel Toohey, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, finished second after knocking off Rutland in straight sets in the semifinals.
BFA-St. Albans upsets singles
Aroa SanJuan Mas entered the individual girls tennis state championship unknown.
The sophomore exchange student from Spain wasn’t ranked in the top four and left with top honors, becoming the first Comet to win the individual tournament.
“She came in and was just dropped into our laps basically,” BFA-St. Albans coach Laura Laramee said. “From Day 1 I knew she had something special. She had the heart of a lion. Never willing to give up and hustle for everything.”
Mas bested top-ranked Julia Biedermann (6-0, 1-6, 10-7) in the semifinals before securing the title in straight sets over Stowe’s Charlotte Stevens 6-3, 6-4 at Burlington Tennis Club.
“During the season I was focused on at least trying to go out there (and compete), but I didn't think I was going to win,” Mas said of the individual tournament.
The righty employed a patient, yet effective strategy to play volley’s long and high against the more aggressive Stevens.
“It's my kind of game. I love having the patience,” Mas said. “I think the other person can just lose track of the balls and just send it out. In the end if you keep patience and always return the balls, I think that's a good way to play.”
History:Past champions of the individual tournament
The persistent strategy led tournament director Errol Nattrass to dub Mas, “The Human Backboard.”
“I think she played with a very high tennis IQ,” Laramee said. “Her maturity on the court far surpasses her age.”
Stevens also entered the tournament not ranked in the top four and earned a spot in the finals, beating defending champion and second-seeded Bea Molson and No. 3 Anna Dauerman in straight sets.
Redemption for the winners at boys tournament
Burlington’s Khiem Nguyen and Nevin Morton were crushed by their loss in last year’s boys doubles championship match.
Brattleboro’s Nathan Kim stared at another spring serving as Vermont’s second-best singles player.
Saturday, their fortunes changed. And they earned every bit of that winning feeling.
About 45 minutes after Nguyen and Morton rallied to complete their straight-sets sweep, Kim polished off a three-set matchbreak to dethrone defending champion Nick O’Donnell of Burr and Burton during the final day of competition at Leddy Park.
The Burlington tandem of Nguyen and Morton won the first set 6-3, and then rallied from a 3-5 hole to avoid the matchbreak, 7-5, securing a doubles title long in the making.
“The mission was, to take what we think is ours,” Nguyen said. “Last year we went into it thinking it would be a cakewalk. This year, one match at a time, one point at a time.”
Morton: ”We knew we were going to get back to this point. It was staying composed and staying in the moment.”
Paired as doubles team in 2021, Nguyen and Morton quickly developed chemistry.
“We instantly clicked. It’s been nothing but success,” Morton said.
The top-seeded Seahorses raced into Saturday’s semifinals before finding themselves against the brink of elimination. Stowe’s Woody Reichelt and JP Marhefka dropped a 6-0 opening set in the morning’s semifinals. Nguyen and Morton responded with a 6-1 edge in the second set before prevailing in a matchbreak.
“We knew we couldn’t do that again,” Morton said of falling behind.
In the finals match, Nguyen and Morton took command, 6-3, in the first set. Then fell behind 3-5 in the second. Breaking St. Johnsbury’s serve in the ninth game gave BHS momentum to close out the title.
“It feels great to add more banners to our school,” Nguyen said.
Kim, a junior, solved O’Donnell in their third matchup of 2023 earlier this month. That gave Kim the confidence he could pull off another win on Saturday.
In a rematch of last year’s singles final, Kim found a groove with his first and second serves in the 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 decision. He also kept O’Donnell at bay with deep forehands and backhands.
“I’ve never hit second serves like that,” Kim said. “I swung as hard as I could on every single one and they were just dipping in.
“I knew if I could serve well duing this match, I could get the ‘W.’“
After O’Donnell forced the 10-point matchbreak, Kim got out to a comfortable margin before sweating out for match point. Earlier this season, Kim had lost to O’Donnell when he coughed up a 7-5 lead in a matchbreak.
“When I was up 9-4 and lost two points in a row, I got a little nervous. But I slammed the serve in and I was able to get that point,” Kim said. “I’m really happy.”
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