EDITOR’S NOTE: As a step in getting ready for the upcoming 2022 fall sports season, NEPASportsNation.com is taking a look back at the 2021 season in District 2.
Team champions
Wyoming Seminary won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state title in Class 2A, as well as the District 2 Class 2A and Wyoming Valley Conference championships.
Abington Heights was the champion of District 2 Class 3A and the Lackawanna League.
Individual champions
Bella Peters from Abington Heights, in Class 3A, and Karissa Ghigiarelli from Riverside, in Class 2A, each won their fourth straight district singles titles.
The same two schools produced the doubles champions.
Rina Hanumali and Susan Arp won for Abington Heights. Madeline DeFaber-Schumacher and Bella Aniska won for Riverside.
State impact
District 2 had a first-, second- and third-place finish in the three PIAA state tournaments.
Wyoming Seminary’s state championship, earned in a 3-2 victory over Sewickley Academy, gave the district its first-ever state girls tennis team champion.
The state title was the third in tennis in school history. Nathalie Joanlanne won the state girls singles championship in 2013 and Wyoming Seminary won the first state boys team tournament in 2001.
Riverside’s Ghigiarelli, the 2019 state champion, came within one victory of a second title in three years. She reached the final before losing and placing second.
The DeFaber-Schumacher/Aniska team took third in doubles.
Standings
Lackawanna League: Abington Heights 14-0, Scranton Prep 13-1, Riverside 12-2, North Pocono 11-3, West Scranton 10-4, Wallenpaupack 9-5, Holy Cross 8-6, Valley View 7-7, Delaware Valley 6-8, Mid Valley 5-9, Honesdale 3-11, Scranton 3-11, Western Wayne 3-11, Montrose 1-13, Dunmore 0-14.
Wyoming Valley Conference: Wyoming Seminary 12-0, Dallas 11-1, Holy Redeemer 10-2, Crestwood 9-3, Tunkhannock 7-5, Berwick 6-6, Wyoming Area 6-6, Hanover Area 5-7, Hazleton Area 5-7, Pittston Area 4-8, Wyoming Valley West 2-10, MMI Prep 1-11, Wilkes-Barre Area 0-12.
Playoffs
Abington Heights defeated North Pocono, 3-0, and Wyoming Seminary downed Scranton Prep, 3-0, in district championship matches.
All 15 district team matches were won by the higher-seeded team.
The best match came in a Class 2A semifinal loaded with eventual state medalists where Wyoming Seminary edged Riverside, 3-2.
Power Rankings
District champions Wyoming Seminary and Abington Heights held the final No. 1 spots in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Girls Tennis Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Wyoming Seminary was followed in Class 2A by No. 2 Scranton Prep, No. 3 Riverside, No. 4 Dallas, No. 5 Holy Redeemer and No. 6 Holy Cross.
Abington Heights was followed in Class 3A by No. 2 North Pocono, No. 3 West Scranton, No. 4 Wallenpaupack, No. 5 Crestwood and No. 6 Delaware Valley.
Noteworthy
Freshman Ilana Rosenthal scored the deciding point with a victory at No. 1 singles for Wyoming Seminary in the state championship match. … While Sewickley Academy was reaching the state final without losing a team point in the PIAA Tournament, Wyoming Seminary had a difficult road. The Blue Knights downed 2020 finalists Moravian Academy and Knoch by 3-2 scores in the first two rounds. … The state Class 2A singles final turned into a match-up between the previous two champions. South Williamsport’s Olivia Dorner, also the 2020 champion, won, 6-4, 6-3, to avenge a loss to Ghigiarelli in the 2019 state final.
