DIVISION I-A TENNIS: Clark’s Pasimio continues family tradition, wins state singles title

Clark’s Michael Pasimio picked up right where older brother Miko left off, capturing the title Monday at The Meadows with a 6-3, 6-2 win over The Meadows’ Kevin Chau.

The Pasimio brothers have won all three boys singles titles since Division I-A was created prior to the 2012-13 school year. Miko, who opted not to play high school tennis this year, won the last two titles.

“It feels great,” Michael Pasimio said. “We spend so much time training every day, not just for high school tennis, but for ourselves, too. It feels great to be rewarded.”

One of 10 matches postponed due to rain in Reno on Saturday and moved to The Meadows, Pasimio and Chau had to wait for an available court Monday, but the Clark freshman wasted little time taking control.

Whipping forehand groundstrokes from just beyond the baseline, Pasimio quickly took the first set and cruised to a 5-1 lead in the second set before Chau held serve.

“I just kept my focus, especially with all the other matches going on,” Pasimio said. “I just tried to control what I could control.”

Pasimio, who helped the Chargers win their third straight team title in Reno on Friday, had little trouble serving out the match.

“It’s been really fun,” Pasimio said. “State was great. When the rain delay happened, I didn’t let it get to me. I just refocused and came out here and did what I had to do.”

In girls singles, Sierra Vista freshman Averiana Mitchell won her school’s first tennis title and completed a masterful season with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Faith Lutheran’s Kathleen Wright.

“I was a little nervous at the beginning,” Mitchell said. “It’s just amazing to do this.”

Mitchell breezed through both the region and state tournaments, barely being threatened along the way. Mitchell dropped just six games in her six state tournament sets.

“I just tried to be more consistent and keep everything in play,” Mitchell said.

The Meadows’ Shalini Shah and Samantha Gondy gained a measure of redemption, winning the girls doubles title by downing teammates Olivia Waysack and Audrey Grigore, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

Shah and Gondy finished second in the state last year.

“It just feels that much better,” Shah said. “We’ve always been close friends, and we know each other very well. We moved our feet today, and that really helped.”

After winning the opening set, Shah and Gondy served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but lost the next three games before recovering to take the third set.

“We knew we wanted it more,” Gondy said.

Spring Valley’s Eric Clark won the boys singles third-place match, outlasting Western’s Ainsley Osawa, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Faith Lutheran’s Jayden Mattson and Michelle Reiss finished third in girls doubles, topping teammates Talia Graf and Kristina Berg, 6-2, 7-5.