The Carmel girls tennis team reached a major milestone on Saturday.
The Greyhounds won their 12th IHSAA state championship, which took place this season at Center Grove. No. 1-ranked Carmel beat No. 5 South Bend St. Joseph 3-2 in the semi-finals, then defeated No. 4 Fishers 5-0 in the first-ever all-Hamilton County championship match.
With their 12th title, the Greyhounds matched long-time record holder North Central. The Panthers won their 12th state title in 2004; since then Carmel has won eight state trophies, including its second straight this season.
The ‘Hounds easily won their three matches against St. Joseph. No. 2 singles Nora Perkins and No. 3 singles Elyse Nelson both won their matches 6-0, 6-0, and No. 2 doubles Thea Bertolini and Ali Griffin were 6-0, 6-3 winners.
“Our girls just got locked in starting with the warm-up, and they were ready to go today,” said Carmel coach Bryan Hanan.
Meanwhile, the Tigers took care of No. 20 Delta 5-0 in the other semi-final. Fishers won all three singles matches in straight sets, including 6-0, 6-1 victories for No. 1 Misha Briggs and No. 3 Caroline Ober. No. 1 doubles Emma Beehler and Cassie Maurer took their match in three sets, winning the third set 6-4.
In the championship, Carmel won all five matches in straight sets. No. 1 singles Lauren Littell beat Briggs 6-2, 6-0. Perkins was a 6-4, 6-3 winner and Nelson won a first-set tiebreak over Ober before winning the second set 6-1.
“Every position was really going after it in the state finals,” said Hanan. “There was no let up in the finals match. We played about as well as we can play. We were focused from the warm-up on. This is one of the best matches we played as a team all year regarding all five positions.
Fishers was making its second appearance at the state finals, and it was by far the Tigers’ best-ever result at the big meet. Fishers finishes the season 21-2.
The Greyhounds were making their 20th appearance at state, behind only North Central’s 21. Carmel completed its state championship season with a 19-1 record.
HSE’S BUKKASAGARAM AND ORME WIN REGIONAL
The Hamilton Southeastern No. 1 doubles team of Misha Bukkasagaram and Emily Orme won the Fishers regional on Saturday and qualified for the IHSAA state doubles tournament.
Bukkasagaram and Orme beat Waldron’s Megan Bogemann and Mackenzie Shaw in the championship match. In the semi-finals, the Royals team won over Brownsburg’s Shelby Allen and Evelyn Cougill 6-1, 6-1.
Bukkasagaarm and Orme will begin play in the state tournament Friday at Park Tudor, with quarter-final matches starting at 3:30 p.m..
CHAMPIONSHIP
CARMEL 5, FISHERS 0
No. 1 singles: Lauren Littell def. Misha Briggs 6-2, 6-0
No. 2 singles: Nora Perkins def. Izzy Mokra 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 singles: Elyse Nelson def. Caroline Ober 7-6 (3), 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Alexa Lewis and Hallie Reeves def. Emma Beehler and Cassie Maurer 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 doubles: Thea Bertolini and Ali Griffin def. Madelyn Barron and Meredith Ober 6-0, 6-3
SEMI-FINALS
CARMEL 3, SOUTH BEND ST. JOSEPH 2
No. 1 singles: Molly Bellia (SBSJ) def. Lauren Littell 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 singles: Nora Perkins (C) def. Maggie Nguyen (SBSJ) 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 singles: Elyse Nelson (C) def. Lily Mayfield (SBSJ) 6-0, 6-0
No. 1 doubles: Anni Amalnathan and Ashi Amalnathan (SBSJ) def. Alexa Lewis and Hallie Reeves (C) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
No. 2 doubles: Thea Bertolini and Ali Griffin (C) def. Dani Graham and Gracie Velasco (SBSJ) 6-0, 6-3
FISHERS 5, DELTA 0
No. 1 singles: Misha Briggs def. Gwendolyn Clark 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 singles: Izzy Mokra def. Gabby Knight 6-4, 6-0
No. 3 singles: Caroline Ober def. Brylee Beckley 6-0, 6-1
No. 1 doubles: Emma Beehler and Cassie Maurer def. Maggie Hunt and Janet Wegener 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
No. 2 doubles: Madelyn Barron and Meredith Ober def. Madelyn Haley and Iva Witter 6-0, 6-3