By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The girls’ tennis team celebrated a memorable season during the annual banquet.
“The Pioneers finished the season with a 15-7 match record, and advanced to the Division 4 state semifinals,” said Pioneers head coach Craig Stone. “Five of those seven loses were to teams that advanced to the finals of their divisional state tournaments this season. Credit must be given to the entire team, who had to replace three starters from the 2022 team with players who had a combined total of one previous varsity match experience.”
Stone presented six awards during the banquet, including the inaugural Sharla Caico Sieve Team Spirit Award. Sharla passed away from stage 4 metastatic colorectal cancer last December.
“Sharla was a 1991 graduate of Lynnfield High School, a four-year letter winner and captain,” said Stone. “She had an overall record of 85-13, and a match record of 62-5. She was a two-time sectional quarterfinalist at the North Sectional Individuals Tournament, and a top-ranked player in USTA New England. Sharla’s high school team also won four Cape Ann League championships and three Division 3 North Sectional championships. She was the 1991 CAL Player of the Year, and a ‘Boston Herald’ All-Scholastic player. She later went on to play collegiate tennis at Seton Hall and, upon graduation, held the record for most combined singles and doubles wins. Sharla returned to Lynnfield as a teacher at Lynnfield Middle School, and coached the boys’ tennis team that won two CAL championships. Among her many accomplishments on the court, Sharla will also be remembered for her camaraderie, enthusiasm, encouragement and her support of the sport, coaches and teammates. She continued to exemplify these characteristics after she left education to become a mother of five children and a valued member of the Lynnfield community.”
Stone presented Sharla’s daughter, captain Maddie Sieve, with the newly established award with assistance of Sharon Caico, Sharla’s mother and Maddie’s grandmother. Maddie played third singles this past season.
“Maddie easily could have been a candidate for the Coaches Award, Most Improved Award and Most Desire Award,” said Stone. “But I feel that this award, chosen by her teammates, is most fitting to who Maddie is and what she means to LHS girls’ tennis.”
Stone gave senior captain Genna Gioioso the Contributed Most and LHS Student-Athlete Awards.
“Genna played second doubles as a sophomore, made the jump to third singles as a junior and moved up again to second singles as a senior,” said Stone. “A recipient of the team’s Most Improved Award last year, Genna has been improving ever since I meet her when she was taking lessons as an elementary school student. But what is most noticeable, that you don’t see on the court, is what I see in the person. Genna has the drive, motivation, passion and the awareness to be an effective player, student, leader and teammate. It has always been important for Genna to become the best player she could be and that LHS girls’ tennis could be the best team it could be.”
Stone presented sophomore Paige Martino with the Outstanding Achievement and May Student-Athlete of the Month Awards during the banquet. He recalled that Martino, who played first singles the past two years, also won the Outstanding Achievement Award last year.
“Paige blends offense and defense to succeed against every opponent,” said Stone. “She never seems to frustrate, while the intensity of which she plays is quite evident.
That intensity is also evident in the classroom.”
Freshman Lily Alves, who mostly played first doubles this spring, was presented with the Most Improved Award.
“I first met Lily in 2021 when she was watching freshman Vicky McCrann take tennis lessons,” said Stone. “In the summer of 2022, she joined a group of eight girls for six lessons. I encouraged her to try out for the team and, the next thing you know, she is playing second doubles with no previous competitive experience. A little later, she is playing first doubles and winning matches. Never in my years of coaching have I seen such a rate of improvement and had someone experience the degree of success she has.”
Stone also presented varsity letters to Gioioso and fellow senior Teanne Alfama Polanco. He gave varsity letters to Sieve and fellow juniors Leticia Marafon and Madison Danese. He presented varsity letters to Martino and fellow sophomores Ella Hayman, Ciara Long, Bella Nguyen and Parminder Saini. He also gave varsity letters to Alves and McCrann, who were both freshmen last season.
Additionally, Stone gave sub-varsity certificates to freshmen Charlotte Beccia, Victoria Clancy, Sonia Kumar, Gianna Micieli, Nandana Nishanth, Jerusha Robbins, April Sun and Siri Tudi. Sophomore Marina Angulo and senior Laura Guimaraes also received sub-varsity certificates.
“To say the 2023 team exceeded expectations would be an understatement,” said Stone. “What they were able to accomplish goes beyond reason, and credit must be given to the players for their improvement, attitude and team spirit.”
Stone also announced that Martino, Marafon and Sieve will serve as captains for the 2024 season.
“I am looking forward to the 2024 season, the challenges it will bring and the impact each of the returning players will have,” said Stone.