NHS Tennis Teams Each Win Twice

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School’s girls’ and boys’ tennis teams both won a pair of matches April 14 and 19 — each easily handling Stratford then topping Joel Barlow. The girls improved to 4-1 and the boys are perfect at 5-0.

Against visiting Stratford on April 14, the girls’ squad rolled 7-0 as the singles players Christina Ciamarra, Lauren Frazzetta, Ale Fuentes, and Grace Winans all won 6-0, 6-0. The doubles tandems of Meghan Loose and Ashley Cech, Jilliana Ciamarra and Sara Benson, and Nicole DeFelice and Maria Biondi all won two-set matches as well.

The NHS girls went to Redding for a morning vacation week match against the Barlow Falcons on April 19 and prevailed 4-3. Christina Ciamarra won at No. 1 singles, Fuentes pulled out a three-set victory at No. 3 singles, and the No. 2 and 3 doubles teams — Jilliana Ciamarra and Stephanie Roman, and Benson and Ayesha Dholakia — both came out on top.

Newtown Coach Maureen Maher is pleased with how the players have adapted to changes in the lineup created, in part, by injury. Caitlin O’Mahoney, who started the season as the No. 3 singles player, rolled her ankle in an early season match. Fuentes, who began the year as part of the No. 2 doubles tandem with Benson, has stepped into O’Mahoney’s singles spot and done well. The doubles tandems have been tweaked as Maher finds the right combinations and the coach notes that everybody has responded well.

“I’m very happy. They’re playing very well deep in the lineup,” Maher said.

Depth was one of the strengths boys’ Coach Marty Margulies saw when his Nighthawks came out for preseason practice and the coach has tapped that depth with the absence of some players during vacation week. To this point, it has not seemed to matter who has been in the lineup as the Hawks have won handily every time out. Newtown topped Stratford 7-0 and defeated visiting Barlow 6-1.

No. 1 singles player Timo Roehrs won both of his matches in two sets. In the win over Stratford, Peter Manos, Rob Beier, and Sean Elliott (by forfeit) rounded out the list of singles winners. No. 1 doubles players Colin Jacob and Connor Howell, along with No. 2 players Rich Andreotta and Tyler Ruenfenacht, and the No. 3 duo of Adam Oehlberg and Yossi Kohrman-Glaser also won in two sets.

In the victory over Barlow, Beier stepped into the No. 2 singles position, and Jacob and Howell split up switched to the third and fourth singles spots and all won two-setters.

In doubles play, Ruenfenacht and Cam McCleary joined forces to win in the top position. Kieran Lardner and Ricky Fuentes lost a tough three-set match in the second spot. Max Paynter and Adam Oehlberg combined for a win at third doubles.

The boys return to action April 27 when they visit Notre Dame-Fairfield. The girls resume match play April 28 at Weston.