SECTIONAL RESULTS: Sophomore Amanda Reinhart’s season comes to a close, as she narrowly missed qualifying for the OSHAA Division I State Tennis Tournament.
Reinhart opened the Southwest District Tennis Tournament on Thurs., 10/8 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over senior Akilah Parker of Northmont, who won the Division I Sectional Title in the Troy bracket. The win earned Reinhart to face Kelli Niehaus, a freshman from Mt. Notre Dame and runner-up from the Cincinnati bracket in the Division I Sectionals. Reinhart lost the first set 6-2 but fought to even the game with a 6-2 win in set two. However, Niehaus advanced to the finals by winning the third and final set, 6-1.
Niehaus went on to play in the District finals but fell to sophomore Emily Thomas of Princeton, who won the district title game 6-0, 6-1. Also advancing are Caitlyn Fisher of Turpin and Alexa Abele of Sycamore.
Reinhart’s road to the postseason began at the Division I Sectional Tennis Tournament. Reinhart made her way through the Mason singles bracket, first with a sweep of Blake Nelson of Amelia in the second round, 6-0, 6-0 followed by a 6-1, 6-2 win over Walnut Hills’ Iris Kim. Facing a bit of a challenge in the quarterfinals, Reinhart was able to hold on to win the first set 7-6 over Sanjana Datla of Mason, sealing the victory with a 6-2 score in set two.
Reinhart returned to Mason on Sat., 10/3, for the semifinals, and fell 6-0, 6-2 to #1 seed and Sycamore senior, Alexa Abele. The seeding proved fairly accurate, as she then faced #3 seed Lilly O'Toole of Walnut Hills. Reinhart nearly upset O’Toole for third place, but lost in an exciting three set match, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Abele went on to claim the sectional championship, defeating #2 seed Caitlyn Fisher of Turpin in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
INSIDE THE ECC: Milford ends the season 2-16 overall and 1-5, sixth in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. Amanda Reinhart finished second in first singles at 15-2 overall and 4-2 in ECC play. Turpin maintained their first place position at 6-0 in the conference, followed by Walnut Hills (5-1), Loveland (4-2), Anderson (3-3), Kings (2-3), Milford, Glen Este, and Withrow.
POLL WATCH: In the final Cincinnati Enquirer area coaches’ poll. Mason ended the season in the top spot followed by Sycamore, Ursuline Academy, the ECC’s Turpin, and St. Ursula. The final five schools included Lakota East, Mt. Notre Dame, the ECC’s Walnut Hills, Lakota West, and Kings of the ECC. Loveland fell out of the poll but received eight votes, while Anderson received just one vote. Milford and the other ECC schools end the season out of the poll.