Bird and Holland end 2023 tennis season with a school record for wins
By Fred Kroner
Each of the Mahomet-Seymour doubles duos that qualified for the IHSA Class 1A state tournament won a match on the first day of the tourney on Thursday (Oct. 19).
Overall, seniors Savannah Amatyleon and Emily Young finished 2-2 at state, advancing one round further than they did as juniors.
M-S’ second doubles state-qualifier, sophomore Adella Bird and junior Holland Martin went 1-2 in their state debut.
Collectively, M-S scored four points at state and tied for 30th in Class 1A. A total of 58 schools scored points at state.
Amatyleon and Young posted a come-from behind 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-7 win in their first-round match at Schaumburg High School against Rockford Boylan’s Elizabeth Fitzgerald and Isabelle Grisanzio, both of whom are seniors.
In the second round, Amatyleon and Young dropped a 6-1, 6-0 decision to Dunlap’s Sophie Muir and Alassea Michel, who went on to play – and win – in the third-place match.
The Bulldog teammates returned to the court on Friday (Oct. 20) in the consolation bracket and topped Bethalto Civic Memorial’s Emma Davis and Abigail Harms 9-8 (4) before being ousted by Bloomington Central Catholic’s AnnaClare Keller and Lauren Emms, 8-2.
Amatyleon and Young had a 15-7 final season record.
Bird and junior Martin, bounced back from a 6-4, 6-1, first-round loss to Highland’s Josie Wojcikiewicz and Sophia Fleming at Hoffman Estates High School to capture a win in their first consolation bracket match.
Bird and Holland decisioned Geneseo’s Mia Kelly and Ella Pettit, 6-4, 6-4.
On Friday, they took an 8-3 loss to Troy Triad’s Katie Watts and Anna D’Aunoy.
Bird and Holland complete the season with a record of 19-3, a school record for overall wins as well as consecutive wins to start the season (17).
After Day 1 in the three-day tournament, M-S was tied for 29th with three points.
