George, Aho Advance in Tennis Sectionals

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown tennis fell 4-1 to Skaneateles in the second round of Sectional playoffs on Monday, May 13, but much of the team still qualified for individual sectionals at Hamilton College on Monday, May 20. In the intervening week, the Hawkeyes swept Sauquoit Valley and Herkimer to finish their regular season with a perfect 15-0 record.

“It was my first undefeated season in four years here,” Head Coach Amy Porter said. “We came very close last year, but wound up 11-1 after losing to New Hartford.”

Porter has presided over a period of impressive growth and improvement for the team. She repeatedly expressed her appreciation for the team, which features four returning players in a roster of 13.

“I had two new seniors this year, [Isaiah] George and [exchange student Eero] Aho, who were both very pleasant surprise additions to the roster,” she said. “I met Aho last summer and heard that George would be a new student at Cooperstown. I knew they would both join the team, but I didn’t know just how talented they both are. The whole team is really a great group of kids.”

The team traveled to Clinton for nearly four hours of individual sectional playoffs on Monday, May 20. George defeated Aho 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal round and will play in the finals in Oneida after press time on Tuesday, May 21. Both athletes will compete in the Interclass state qualifying tournament in Utica on Thursday, May 23.

Eighth grader Henry Ayers fell to Sauquoit’s Quincy Stayton in the first round, while junior Owen Marling and seventh grader Alfred Hom fell to Herkimer in the first round of doubles. Sophomore Bianca Adam and junior Alexis Wolfe, the top-seeded doubles team at the tournament, lost to Westmoreland in the quarterfinals.