LYNNFIELD — The 2023 girl’s tennis team’s season ended in whirlwind fashion Thursday — on the court with a 4-1 Final Four loss to Manchester-Essex in the state Division 4 tournament, and off the court at its annual awards banquet.
The Pioneers finished the season with a record of 15-7. Five of the losses were to opponents that reached the finals of their respective state tournaments.
“Credit must be given to the entire team who had to replace three starters from the 2022 team with players that had a combined total of one previous varsity game experience,” coach Craig Stone said. “To say the 2023 team exceeded expectations would be an understatement. What they were able to accomplish goes beyond reason, and credit must be given to the players for their improvement, attitude, and team spirit.”
Varsity letters were awarded to freshmen Lily Alves and Victoria McCrann; sophomores Ella Hayman, Ciara Long, captain Paige Martino, Bella Nguyen, and Parminder Saini; juniors Madison Danese, Leticia Marafon, and captain Maddie Sieve; and seniors Teanne Alfama Polanco and captain Genna Gioioso.
Sub-varsity certificates were awarded to freshmen Charlotte Beccia, Victoria Clancy, Sonia Kumar, Gianna Micieli, Nandana Nishanth, Jerusha Robins, April Sun, and Siri Tudi; sophomore Mariana Angulo; and senior Laura Guimaraes.
Stone presented several special team awards. Martino received the Outstanding Achievement and May Student Athlete of the Month awards. Gioioso received the Contributed Most and LHS Student-Athlete awards. Alves received the Most Improved Award, and Sieve received the inaugural Sharla Caico Sieve Team Spirit Award.
Sieve finished with a 13-6 record at third singles in her second year on varsity.
“She cast away her doubles sneakers from last year to take on the third singles spot,” Stone said. “Maddie loves a challenge, as we have all witnessed in her marathon matches this year. It didn’t matter whether it was two sets or three, Marathon Maddie was out there for two hours or more on many occasions. Even if her strokes went up to her expectations, you knew that her competitiveness and athleticism would will her to victory.”
Martino finished with an impressive first singles record of 17-3.
“To achieve that kind of record is a major accomplishment in itself, to do it while playing first singles in our competitive league and season schedule is eye opening,” Stone said. “Paige blends offense and defense to succeed against every opponent. She never seems to frustrate, while the intensity of which she plays is quite evident. That intensity is also evident in the classroom.”
This is the second straight year that Martino received the Outstanding Achievement Award. In 2022, she finished with a 16-4 record.
Alves finished with a 10-9 record in doubles, going 2-1 with Long and 8-8 with Marafon. Stone said he first met Alves while she was watching Marafon take tennis lessons in 2021. The following year, Stone said, Alves joined a group of eight players taking a series of six lessons.
“Lily came out for the team and the next thing you know, she is playing second doubles with no previous competitive experience and, a little later, she is playing first doubles and winning matches,” Stone said. “Never in my years of coaching have I seen such a rate of improvement and had someone experience the degree of success that she has in such a short time.”
Gioioso, a third-year varsity player, posted a record of 14-6 at second singles after playing second doubles as a sophomore. She moved to third singles last year as a junior.
“Genna has been improving ever since I met her when she was taking lessons as an elementary student,” Stone said. But what is most noticeable that you don’t see on the court, and there is plenty to see on the court, what I also see in the person — the drive, the motivation, the passion that allows her the perspective, compassion, and awareness to be an effective player, student, leader, and teammate. It’s always been important for Genna to become the best player she could be, but it’s always been important to her that LHS Tennis could be the best team it could be.”
Gioioso also received the Most Contributed Award in 2022.
Martino, Marafon, and Sieve were elected captains for the 2024 season.
