Photo of Esmee Eaton courtesy of Amanda Lin
Thanks to MHS tennis for this report
Girls Tennis:
Maranatha girls tennis capped their regular season today by winning their final 11 matches (after a 1-3 start), going undefeated in league and earning their 8th Olympic League championship in 10 years. Their league record during that time is 83-5 (.943).
To those who follow Maranatha tennis, it would be easy to assume that the Lady Minutemen would win league again and take it for granted; but that would rob this team of the immense amount of hard work, focus, and determination it took for them to achieve this title. It was hard-fought for and hard won.
It certainly wasn’t a forgone conclusion in Coach Arthur Hsieh’s mind, as this was the youngest, most inexperienced team he’s ever coached; but they also were one of the top teams he’s had in terms of attitude, effort, camaraderie, and buy-in. That mix, along with the steady presence and leadership of senior captains, Stella Hsieh and Kasey McCoy, and the consistent commitment of assistant coaches, Sandra Hsieh, and Amanda Lin, proved to be a formidable combination, as the team met its goal of improving every week.
Though they didn’t start out the season as the obvious best team in the league, by the end of it, they left no doubt. The faithful supporters who journeyed with the team from the beginning of the season were treated to a season of transformation from the inside out.
With 9 out of 12 players being new to the team and not knowing each other, the girls grew to like each other, bond, support one another, and link arms to pursue their best character and their best tennis. One member recently stated, “I love this team. It is like family.”
Though they’re not at the level of contending for a CIF-SS championship this season, it’s clear they’ve won something of even greater value: friendship, respect, and the ability to produce their best when their best is needed.
The team will take a break from team competition next week to compete in the Olympic League Individuals Tournament. The tournament will consist of the league’s top 8 singles players and doubles teams, who will compete for the right to represent the league in the prestigious CIF-SS Individuals Tournament, the largest high school tournament of its kind in the nation. The top two finishers will qualify.
Leading the way will be Maranatha’s own Stella Hsieh, who is the 2022 Olympic League Singles MVP, with a perfect 24-0 record. She will be the top seed.
The doubles MVP race is a tight one and could not be decided in the regular season, leaving the tournament to be the decider. Maranatha’s Kasey McCoy/Esmee Eaton and Mia Huang/Mia Su are the two front runners for the award.
Marantha finishes the regular season 12-3 overall and 8-0 in league.
Girls Water Polo: West Covina picked up their third victory of the 2024-25 season in four tries. After a 9-2 loss to San Dimas in the season opener, the Bulldogs have now defeated Monrovia (17-13), La Mirada (15-13) and Pasadena (10-5). Deneli Salazar led the charge with five goals and four steals, continuing her streak […]
Girls Basketball: It’s unusual for a game to be considered ‘over’ after eight minutes of play. However, politically correct or not, Glendora put Anaheim away with a 22-0 first quarter. The Tartans cruised to a 57-26 victory at the La Mirada Tournament. Reagan (“Ronnie”) Herrmann had a game-high 17 points. Kamryn Kuo led both teams […]
Photo by Angeline Sabillon-Cifuentes Boys Soccer: The Marshall Fundamental soccer program scored two first-half goals on Wednesday at La Canada. The Spartans scored a second-half goal, and both programs had to settle for a 2-2 tie. Giovanni Retana had an unassisted goal for the Eagles. Justin Lopez-Perez scored off an assist from Retana. Angel Capistran […]
Boys Basketball: Damien is off to a great start in the 2024-25 season. The Spartans have now defeated Troy (80-41), Ontario Christian (68-39) and Villa Park (70-42) at the Sunny Hills Tournament by a combined margin of 218-122. DHS had a 38-19 lead at the half. Nate Garcia had a game-high 21 points. Jayden Avina […]
Photo by Underrated Media Girls Basketball: Flintridge Prep jumped on Claremont early, and the Wolfpack weren’t able to mount much of a challenge. The Wolves had a 20-3 lead after the first eight minutes, and they cruised to a 69-35 victory in the second round of the Bonita Tournament. Maddie Smith and Megan Quoch led […]
Girls Water Polo: Los Osos opened their 2024-25 season with an impressive 9-4 victory at San Dimas. The Grizzlies took a 6-0 lead into the half, and they never trailed. Teresa Shirley led the way with three goals and one block. Alex Frank chipped in with two goals, one assist and six steals. Maddie White […]
Photos by Carlo Montalbo (@Carlo.Montalbo on Instagram) Boys Basketball: Glendora edged Portola of Irvine, 54-49, in the second round of the Sunny Hills Tournament. GHS used a 32-25 advantage in the second half to claim victory. Tanner Grable had a big night on Tuesday with 14 points, 14 rebounds and a pair of assists. Colton […]
Boys Basketball: Damien blew out its second consecutive opponent to open the 2024-25 season. On Monday, the Spartans cruised to an 80-41 victory over Troy at the Sunny Hills Tournament. One night later, DHS raced past Ontario Christian, 68-39, after taking a 32-15 lead into the break. Nate Garcia had a game-high 23 points for […]
Girls Basketball: Flintridge Prep opened the 2024-25 season with a blowout victory at the Bonita Tournament. The Wolves cruised to a 69-30 victory over Cajon. Prep had a 38-11 lead at the half. Maddie Smith had 15 points and five steals. Olivia Childs chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds. Hailey Louie added seven […]
