Gilbert Perry continues reign, Hamilton’s Shakir wins in singles

It will take yet another year to see if Gilbert Perry is beatable after defeating Basha 2-1 in the Division I doubles championship.

No. 1 Perry entered the tournament coming off three-straight state championships, clearing the way for another after beating Red Mountain, Sunnyslope, Xavier and the aforementioned Basha. Perry now stands at 56-0 in four seasons.

Head coach Lerina Johnson credits her doubles team, Nikhita Jayaraj and Ashley Rodarte, for meshing well despite their differences.

“Once we paired them up they gelled,” Johnson said. “They gelled the best. They gelled with strength and weakness, ‘I can pick her up if she’s down.’ It’s a pairing that is a dream come true.”

For the Division I singles championship, Hamilton’s Neha Shakir (senior) defeated Gilbert Perry’s

Kate Macpherson (senior) to win her first championship after being ousted in quarterfinals last season.

The match between the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked players went to the final stages of the third game until Shakir pulled away to win 21-17, celebrating with multiple swings of her racquet.

“I’m really happy,” Shakir said. “I’be been training for months, years, really hard every day for hours. It just feels really good to have it pay off.”

Hamilton head coach Lauren Regester sees the championship for Shakir as a culmination of her work since arriving at Hamilton.

“I am so proud of Neha,” Regester said. “She is an athlete that keeps herself accountable. If we’re not in the gym practicing then she’s practicing outside. She set this goal for herself.’’

Ending her high school career with a bang Shakir isn’t done with the sport just yet, whether it be on or off the court.

“I’m going to go into playing in college, it’s really my favorite sport,” Shakir said.