The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Oneida girls Class B champs
An undefeated 18-0 regular season. A standout eclipsing the 100 win mark. A seventh straight Section III Class B final appearance.
Saturday, the Oneida girls tennis team added another accomplishment for the season. 2018 Class B champions. Todd Hicks’ Oneida squad, after being on the losing end of two consecutive Class B championship bouts, took down New Hartford in an emphatic 7-0 win for the program’s fourth title in the past six years.
“It’s difficult to rebuild in a short amount of time, after losing almost everyone from the great run we had from2013-2015, winning three straight championships,” Hicks said. “However, we had a new batch of young talent and with the leadership of a true champion, Lauren Skibitski, and our seniors, it was a perfect combination for a winning season.”
After beating NewHartford 6-1 in the regular season, Oneida was able to improve on that mark Saturday in the shutout.
“Coming into this match I felt extremely confident. Confident that I had the best overall three singles and best depth for doubles play. New Hartford played us tough the first time and I knew our level of play couldn’t drop. I knew going into today, we would have a shot at each of the seven points,” Hicks said. “Lauren Skibitski has deservingly been the spotlight of the teamthis year, but it was because of our depth that we won today’s championship.”
Kathryn Brown flew to a 6-0, 6-3 win over New Hartford’s Rachel DeRocco to start the ball rolling in singles play. Sydney Lusher outplayed New Hartford’s Nicole Farkouh to a 6-0, 7-5 win, and Skibitski, Oneida’s 100-plus win senior, weathered New Hartford’s Grace LaFountain for a 6-4, 6-3 win.
“My singles players were awesome, automatic points like they have been throughout the year,” Hicks said.
On the doubles side, Mikah Albro and HannahMyatt coasted to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over a NewHartford tandem of Nina Paciello and Victoria Cioni. Similarly, Oneida duo Emily Marshall and Molly Moyer dispatched New Hartford’s Maya Padula and Juliet Marhamati in straight sets.
Oneida’s two other tandems were taken to three sets. Kaylyn Curro and Sophia Docous dropped their first set with Divya Sinha and Danielle DeRocco 6-7(2-7) but came storming back to take the next two sets 6-1, 6-0.
Mattie Hicks and Sophia Skinner won their first set against Avery Walters andTess Evans 7-5 before falling in the second set 3-6. Sophia Hicks and Skinner buckled down in the third set, grabbing a 6-2 win.
Oneida closes with an 18-0 re-
cord in 2018. In the past seven years, Oneida is 1444.
Throughout the course of this season, Oneida singles and doubles have put up some eye-popping numbers: Skibitski 16-1; Lusher 17- 0; Brown 20- 0; Moyer and Marshall 16-0; Hicks and Skinner 18-2; Curro and Docous 19-1; Myatt and Albro 20-0.
“My doubles team did exactly what I expected them to do all season. Being athletes and competitors, I didn’t see how they would lose today. They were
“Being able towin a championship withmy own daughter on board is pretty cool. Makes today’swin that much sweeter.”
— Todd Hicks
definitely contested today and were able to raise their level of play,” Hicks said, adding, “Being able to win a championship with my own daughter on board is pretty cool. Makes today’s win that much sweeter.”