Monroe County High School Tennis Teams Face Off in Spring Match Slate

Marathon's Dolphins carried their spring tennis momentum into a pair of road victories during the week of March 9, beating Key West and Keys Gate to headline a busy stretch of interscholastic matches across Monroe County.

Marathon's boys opened on the road in Key West, where they beat the Conchs 5-2. Tanner Snowden, Matthew Delgado, Graham Murphy and Kase Daughtry all won in singles. Murphy and Daughtry added another point in No. 2 doubles. Daniel Morales picked up a singles win for Key West, and Mason Martel and Wyatt Bartles teamed up for a doubles win for the Conchs.

The Dolphin boys then defeated Keys Gate 5-2 the following day, with singles wins from Snowden, Murphy and Daughtry plus another doubles win from Daughtry and Murphy.

The girls' side told a different story along U.S. 1. Key West and Marathon met in the Southernmost City on March 9, and the Lady Conchs narrowly defeated the Fins 4-3, with Durdona Oblokulova, Beyza Atilla and Shihan Ren winning in singles. Marathon then traveled to Keys Gate, where they won 6-1 the following day. Alvear and McGuire each picked up wins in singles and doubles, while Maleeya Abraham and Hannah Hutchinson added three more, winning in both singles and No. 2 doubles.

Coral Shores' boys opened the week away from home at Monsignor Pace, where they fell 4-3 to the Spartans. Elijah Craig won at No. 2 singles, then teamed with Jacob Sanchez for a doubles win.

Later in the week, the Hurricanes fared better against in-county opponents. The Coral Shores boys swept Marathon's Fins in singles and doubles, with wins from Makani Burga, Zachary Bolano, Merrick Dunn and Max Smith. Burga paired with Rory MacEachern and Bolano with Tony Khioni to claim both doubles matches. Marathon picked up a singles win from Rain Banks and a doubles victory from Banks and Reese Elwell.

In girls action at the same meeting, Key West's Amalia Strunk, Claudia Steling, Juliana Strunk, Violet Jangraw and Leyla Atilla beat out every player in Marathon's lineup. Amalia Strunk and Steling, plus Juliana Strunk and Atilla, won the doubles matches for a clean Conch sweep. Coral Shores edged Marathon 5-2 in girls play as well, with Charlotte MacEachern, Olivia Hughes, Chloe Koval and Vanessa Gabriel each winning, and MacEachern and Hughes teaming up for a doubles win.

All three schools have early April matches remaining before district play on April 15 and 16. Key West will compete at Tropical Park, while Marathon and Coral Shores head to the Miami Dade College courts to face their district rivals.