ALL-AREA GIRLS TENNIS TEAM

All-Area First Team

Honorable Mention

Danagrace Buck

Hanna Slutsky

Jennifer Gosney

Patricia Portmann

Melany Frehafer

Gabriela Portmann

Michelle Sabado

PLAYER OF THE YEAR SARA SWIFT

DANAGRACE BUCKSt. Edwards junior, No. 2 singlesNotable: Buck compiled an 11-3 record and won her flight at the Class 1A district tournament. She also teamed with Sara Swift to win the No. 1 doubles title in district play. When Buck rallied to win her match at the regional finals, she helped propel her team to the state tournament.MELANY FREHAFERMartin County senior, No. 3 singlesNotable: Frehafer compiled a 17-1 record at No. 3 singles to close out her career with a 75-4 record. She teamed with Hanna Slutsky to go 13-2 at No. 1 doubles to win a Class 3A district title. Frehafer was the only Martin County player to win a match at state.JENNIFER GOSNEYLincoln Park eighth-grader, No. 2 singlesNotable: The young Gosney turned in an accomplished performance, compiling a 13-2 record and winning the No. 2 singles at the Class 2A district tournament and then teaming with Michelle Sabado to win at No. 1 doubles and advance to the state tournament. The duo won their first match at state.MICHELLE SABADOLincoln Park senior, No. 1 singlesNotable: Sabado got off to a slow start, but finished strong. She ended the year with a 15-5 record, winning Class 2A district titles at No. 1 singles and doubles. She advanced to the semifinal at state in individual singles play and teamed with Jennifer Gosney to win an opening match in doubles play.HANNA SLUTSKYMartin County junior, No. 1 singlesNotable: Slutsky went 14-1 in singles play, going unbeaten until the first round of the Class 3A state tournament. In that stretch, she won her second straight No. 1 singles title in district play. She also compiled a 13-2 record at No. 1 doubles including a district championship.GABRIELA PORTMANNVero Beach sophomore, No. 1 and 2 singlesNotable: Portmann, who began the year playing No. 2 singles before moving up the lineup because of an injury, went 10-3 overall. She teamed with sister Patricia to win the No. 1 doubles title at district. The two advanced to the finals of the individual doubles bracket at the state tournament.PATRICIA PORTMANNVero Beach freshman, No. 2 and 3 singlesNotable: After starting the season at No. 3 singles, Portmann moved up because of an injury and finished the year with a 13-3 record. She teamed with sister Gabriela to win No. 1 doubles at the Class 4A district tournament. The duo advanced to the finals of individual doubles play at the state tournament.

AMANDA BRESLAWJohn Carroll senior

ARI DESMANMartin County freshman

JULIA CUSAMANOMartin County junior

LOLA FADULASt. Edwards junior

STELLA FEDELEJensen Beach freshman

ALISA KLINSPORTSt. Edwards junior

STEPHANIE POMPAMartin County freshman

SAMANTHA RIVEROOkeechobee junior

RACHEL SMITHSt. Edwards junior

ERICA SUSIVero Beach freshman

The TeamThe 2012 All-Area Girls Tennis Team was compiled by Aimee Ford Foster.

See previous all-area teams on prepzone.TCPalm.com

ALEX BOERNER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS

Sara Swift of St. Edwards is the 2012 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Girls Tennis Player of the Year.

By Aimee Ford FosterSpecial to Treasure Coast Newspapers

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY The match that Sara Swift remembers best from this spring isnt any of 17 straight she won to start the year. Instead, like many ath-

letes, the one that remains most vivid for Swift is the one she lost.After sweeping through

the regular season unbeat-en, though not untested, and then winning a Class 1A district title at No. 1 singles and two regional matches, Swift came up against an immovable foe in the state semifinals.I had actually beaten

(Gainesville-P.K. Yonges Jazz Whitaker) in the fall in a tournament, Swift said. It was a tough loss. (Whitaker) played a lot of mind games with me. She was very con-sistent. It was a bummer way to end the season.

The simple truth, though, is that advancing at the state tournament at any level is an achievement.So is compiling a 17-1

record, and winning a dis-trict title.She absolutely had

a great year, coach Jim Buck said. She played a couple of close matches that she won in tiebreak-ers. Shes just very men-

tally tough. She seems to be able to gather herself in tight moments and closes out a match really well.For her achievements

this spring, Swift has been named the 2012 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspa-pers Girls Tennis Player of the Year.The regular season

couldnt have gone better, Swift said. I had a couple

of really good wins in-cluding two against Vero Beach and some pretty close matches. Then in the regional finals, I battled and pulled that out and then it was off to state.Swift has played at St.

Edwards since her eighth- grade year. She started playing the game when she was 4 years old, when her family was living in Vail, Colo. When they relocated to Florida four years ago, Swift got serious about the game.Her ultimate goal is to

play Division I college ten-nis. To that end, she plays year-round.I do enjoy playing

high school tennis and being on the team, Swift said. I have a couple of good matches every year against tough competi-tion that helps my game. But once the high school season is over, I focus on getting my rankings up.

The competitorSara Swift blazed through the season unbeaten,

before falling just shy of a state titlePlayer of the Year

Sara SwiftSt. Edwards sophomore, No. 1 singlesNotable: Swift compiled an impressive 17-1 record, suffering her first and only loss in the Class 1A state semifinals. She won a district title on the way and swept unbeaten through regional play to help her team advance to the state tournament.Coach Jim Buck: She is just very mentally tough. She seems to be able to gather herself in tight moments and closes out a match really well. She plays a lot of tennis. Shes very seasoned match player. ... Sara has tremendous ground strokes and by and large, she hits right through people. She is a fierce competitor.

Walt SchererTeam: Martin CountyRecord: 214-83,17 seasons2012 season: Led the Tigers to a 16-1 record, district and regional championships and a sixth straight state tournament despite blending three newcomers into a lineup hit hard by graduation. Martin County went unbeaten against Treasure Coast competition, picking up its lone loss against Benjamin.Quotable: We had a lot of new faces, so it was pretty exciting ... I really didnt know what to expect out of the freshmen other than I knew we had some pretty good ones coming in. Julia (Cusamano, junior transfer) was the jewel. She worked so hard.

Coach of the Year

Shes just very

mentally tough. She seems to be able to gath-er herself in tight moments and closes out a match really well.

Jim Buck, St. Edwards tennis coach on

Player of the Year Sara Swift

All-Area Spring Sports Schedule

SUNDAY

Girls TennisMONDAY

Boys TennisTUESDAY

Girls TrackWEDNESDAY

Boys TrackTHURSDAY

Girls LacrosseFRIDAY

Boys LacrosseSATURDAY

SoftballJUNE 10

Baseball

prepzone.tcpalm.comTotal High School Sports, anyway you look at it.

STAY ON THE BALL.

6C Sunday, June 3, 2012 S C R I P PS T R EASURE COAST N EWSPAPERS TC