STATE TENNIS: Gorman duo overcome elements, Reno for title

RENO — Sam Sholeff and Skylar Davidson of Bishop Gorman spent most of the season playing singles until deciding before the Sunset Region tournament that their best chances at the state tournament would be to join forces.

Wind, rain and a determined Reno duo weren’t enough to stop Sholeff and Davidson on Saturday, as they defeated Reno’s Dominic Aramini and Mahesh Challapalli 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to win the Division I boys doubles championship.

The match began in the morning at Caughlin Athletic Club before gusty winds and rain left players slipping on the court. After a delay, tournament officials moved the two remaining matches that featured a North-South matchup to an indoor court at Lakeridge Tennis Club. Five championship matches and five consolation matches, all involving only Southern players, will be resumed at 3:30 p.m. Monday at The Meadows.

Davidson and Sholeff were leading the championship match 5-4 in the first set, but facing ad out, when the delayed occurred. They seemed to take to the indoor surface quicker than Aramini and Challapalli.

“I thought it helped both teams because they didn’t have to deal with the wind, so you saw much cleaner doubles play,” Bishop Gorman coach Craig Witcher said.

Sholeff and Davidson had played doubles together at times last season and won two of three matches in a meet against Palo Verde, which convinced Witcher they might be good enough as a team to reach the state tournament.

The players said Sholeff’s powerful serves and Davidson’s grinding style complemented each other.

“We’re opposites, so it works out well,” Davidson said.

In the other completed championship match in Division, Coronado junior Samantha Smith exorcised a two-year demon by downing Green Valley’s Josie Legarza, 6-2, 6-1.

Smith, who opted not to play high school tennis last year, lost in the state final as a freshman.

“This definitely feels better,” Smith said. “That loss from freshman year was haunting me for a long time.”

Smith was pushed to three sets during her morning semifinal, but raced to the title while dodging the rain. She had defeated Legarza on Monday in the Sunrise Region final.

“The nerves were there,” Smith said. “The wind got bad, and it definitely affected me.”

In Division I-A, the only championship that was decided wasn’t really decided.

Clark’s Chaitanya Ingle and Marcus Pasimio led Incline’s Miles Prim and Cole Steinberg, 7-5, 0-2 when rain halted play at Plumas Tennis Courts in Reno.

The teams decided to share the title, giving Ingle his third state doubles title in as many seasons. He won the last two titles with partner Deric Pang.

The other three title matches were postponed and will be played at 3:30 p.m. Monday at The Meadows.

Clark’s Michael Pasimio will face The Meadows’ Kevin Chau in boys singles.

Sierra Vista’s Averiana Mitchell will meet Faith Lutheran’s Kathleen Wright in girls singles.

In a girls doubles final involving two teams from The Meadows, Samantha Gondy and Shalini Shaw will face Olivia Waysack and Audrey Grigore.