Washington, Pa. – The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) held its championship matches for the WPIAL/UPMC Sports Medicine Boys’ Tennis Team Championships on Wednesday afternoon at Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center on the campus of Washington & Jefferson College. In Class 3A, North Allegheny reigned for the first time in 15 years, while Sewickley Academy repeated as the Class 2A champion.
North Allegheny joins a club of eight schools with at least five WPIAL boys’ tennis team titles, drawing even with Fox Chapel and Greater Latrobe for sixth all-time. The Tigers previously won in 1993, 2000, 2001, and 2009. The win is North Allegheny’s second title in the three WPIAL boys’ tennis competitions this season, as freshman Advaita Sircar captured singles gold on Wednesday, April 10.
Sewickley Academy extends its lead of WPIAL boys’ tennis team championships with its 25th. The Panthers are now seven titles ahead of second-place Mt. Lebanon (18), previously winning championships in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2023. The win is Sewickley Academy’s second gold across three WPIAL boys’ tennis competitions, as junior Severin Harmon won the singles title on Wednesday, April 10.
The top two teams in Class 3A and top four teams in Class 2A have qualified for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Boys’ Tennis Team Championships, which begin on Tuesday, May 14 with first-round matches at regional sites and conclude with the final three rounds at Hershey Racquet Club from May 17-18.
CLASS 3A RECAP
North Allegheny ended a 15-year drought in a rematch of last year’s Class 3A championship match, as the top-seeded Tigers defeated second-seeded Gateway, 3-2.
North Allegheny (16-0, 6-0 Section II) captured the title by sweeping doubles and winning in second-flight singles. At top-flight doubles, junior Srivatsav Thirumala and freshman Shivum Telang won 6-0, 6-0 against Gateway (12-1, 6-0 Section I) seniors Matthew Bandos and Zane Almoukamal. Second-flight doubles was also a 6-0, 6-0 win for the Tigers, as senior Adithya Ramadas Guptha and sophomore Adhav Ramadas defeated Gators senior Blake Marsh and sophomore Troy Boden. North Allegheny senior Trey Davidson bested Gateway junior Zidaan Hassan in singles, 6-4, 6-1, to secure the match victory.
Gateway picked up wins in the first and third flights of singles. In a rematch of the WPIAL Boys’ Tennis Singles Championships final, Gators junior Adam Memije defeated Tigers freshman Advaita Sircar, 7-6(5), 6-1. At the third flight, Gateway sophomore Logan Memije was a 6-3, 6-1 winner against senior Amit Bhandari.
North Allegheny opened the tournament with a bye, then defeated eighth-seeded Franklin Regional (5-0) and fourth-seeded Fox Chapel (3-2) to qualify for the final. Gateway, who entered as the reigning champion, topped 16th-seeded North Hills, 5-0, before collecting 3-2 wins against seventh-seeded Pine-Richland and third-seeded Upper St. Clair.
In the PIAA Championships first round, North Allegheny will take on the District III third-place team, while Gateway will face the champion from either District VIII or District X. The Tigers are one of six schools to previously win a PIAA team championship, doing so twice in 2005 and 2009.
CLASS 2A RECAP
Sewickley Academy continued its reign of WPIAL Class 2A boys’ tennis, as the top-seeded Panthers defeated sixth-seeded Quaker Valley, 3-2, to win a second consecutive title and 25th overall.
Sewickley Academy (13-1, 6-0 Section IV) won the championship with two wins in singles and a victory in second-flight doubles. At singles competition, junior Severin Harmon won 6-1, 6-0 over Quaker Valley (11-4, 5-1 Section V) senior Chase Merkel, and junior Sebastian Tan defeated senior Joseph Veeck in the third flight, 6-2, 6-1. In second-flight doubles, Panthers freshmen Ben Terrell and Max Kopf topped Quakers seniors Will Watson and Brahm Gianiodis, 6-3, 6-4, to successfully defend the title.
Quaker Valley claimed wins in second-flight singles and top-flight doubles. In singles, freshman William Meagler bested Sewickley Academy sophomore Finn Wentz, 6-1, 6-2. The top-flight doubles match saw Quakers seniors Grant Webb and Matteo Castellini outlast Sewickley Academy seniors Tejas Mitra and Jackson Quigley in three sets, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.
In the third-place consolation match at Shady Side Academy, second-seeded North Catholic (12-1, 5-0 Section III) defeated fourth-seeded South Park (9-3, 6-0 Section II), 4-1.
Sewickley Academy received a bye to open its postseason run, then topped eighth-seeded Valley (5-0) and fourth-seeded South Park (4-1) to reach the final. Quaker Valley defeated 11th-seeded Mt. Pleasant (4-1), third-seeded Winchester Thurston (4-1), and second-seeded North Catholic (3-2) to advance.
In the PIAA Championships opening round, Sewickley Academy will play the District IX champion, Quaker Valley will take on the District V champion, North Catholic faces the District X champion, and South Park plays the District III champion. Sewickley Academy is in search of its fourth PIAA championship, previously winning in 2006, 2016, and 2017, while Quaker Valley won in 2003.
CLASS 3A RESULTS
#1 Singles: Adam Memije (Gateway) def. Advaita Sircar (North Allegheny), 7-6(5), 6-1.
#2 Singles: Trey Davidson (North Allegheny) def. Zidaan Hassan (Gateway), 6-4, 6-1.
#3 Singles: Logan Memije (Gateway) def. Amit Bhandari (North Allegheny), 6-3, 6-1.
#1 Doubles: Srivatsav Thirumala/Shivum Telang (North Allegheny) def. Matthew Bandos/Zane Almoukamal, 6-0, 6-0.
#2 Doubles: Adithya Ramadas Guptha/Adhav Ramadas (North Allegheny) def. Blake Marsh/Troy Boden (Gateway), 6-0, 6-0.
CLASS 2A RESULTS
#1 Singles: Severin Harmon (Sewickley Academy) def. Chase Merkel (Quaker Valley), 6-1, 6-0.
#2 Singles: William Meagler (Quaker Valley) def. Finn Wentz (Sewickley Academy), 6-1, 6-2.
#3 Singles: Sebastian Tan (Sewickley Academy) def. Joseph Veeck (Quaker Valley), 6-2, 6-1.
#1 Doubles: Grant Webb/Matteo Castellini (Quaker Valley) def. Tejas Mitra/Jackson Quigley (Sewickley Academy), 7-5, 1-6, 6-1.
#2 Doubles: Ben Terrell/Max Kopf (Sewickley Academy) def. Will Watson/Brahm Gianiodis (Quaker Valley), 6-3, 6-4.
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