Triton's Twardziak Says Goodbye

By Phil Anastasia, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Oct. 31--The spotlight rarely finds Triton tennis and No. 1 singles player Kristi Twardziak.

But the Mustangs senior finished an outstanding career yesterday in the long-delayed third-place match of the Camden County tournament.

"I know I'm going to be upset," Twardziak said, looking forward to the match against Haddonfield junior Spencer Ng. "It's hard to realize it's finally over."

Haddonfield freshman Taylor Ng and Cherry Hill East sophomore Jamie Silverberg were scheduled to play in the championship match.

Twardziak was a four-year player for Triton. She was a three-time all-Olympic Conference selection.

She played her best tennis this season. Twardziak entered yesterday's match with a 22-4 record.

Like many top players, Twardziak said the best thing about high school tennis was the team aspect.

"I didn't even like tennis that much when I was a freshman," Twardziak said. "But I loved playing with my teammates. It was so much fun."

Twardziak hopes to play tennis in college. She is considering Rider, West Chester, and Bloomsburg.

"I guess it's a normal stage," Twardziak said of the end of her scholastic career. "But it's still sad."

Haddonfield's feat The South Jersey tennis world still is buzzing about Haddonfield's remarkable run to the Tournament of Champions title.

The Group 2 state champion Bulldogs finished the season 32-0. They beat Millburn, the Group 3 champion, in the T of C semifinals by 3-2, and Westfield, the Group 4 champion, in the final, also by 3-2.

"We could have lost 5-0 to either school, but different team members at different times refused to give in when the odds were against us," Haddonfield coach Jeff Holman said.

Holman said the resiliency was best illustrated by the junior No. 2 singles player, Meghan Burns, who rallied from a set down to score the decisive point against Westfield despite leg cramps.

"When I think of Meghan Burns in the final match and her refusal to submit to painful leg cramps, heroic is the word that comes to mind," Holman said. "The wins over Millburn and Westfield were attributable more to character, heart, and determination than to tennis talent."

Through Thursday, Haddonfield's singles players and doubles teams had compiled impressive records.

Taylor Ng was 40-4, Burns 31-4, and Spencer Ng 36-4. The first doubles team of Martha Theodoris and Catherine Senopoulos was 43-1, and the second doubles team of Taylor Noll and Rebecca Senopoulos was 35-3.

Here's the truly remarkable thing about Haddonfield: There's not a senior in the lineup. Barring injury or some other development, all seven starters will be back next season, although the lineup could change based on what promise to be highly competitive challenge matches in August.

Cherry Hill East's season In August, veteran coach Mary Jewett was concerned about the perennially powerful Cougars, as Jamie Silverberg was the only returning player with varsity experience.

Silverberg led the way with a great season at No. 1 singles, but the Cougars rallied as a team and produced a surprising 19-3 record while capturing another Olympic American title.

"I couldn't be prouder of this team," Jewett said. "Every single player stepped up."

Atlantic City's big year In the highly competitive Cape-Atlantic American Division, Atlantic City split regular-season matches with Millville and Mainland.

But the Vikings won't soon forget this season, as they won their first sectional title, emerging as the champion of a South Jersey Group 4 tournament that included Millville, Mainland, and Cherry Hill East.

Atlantic City was led by the dynamic 1-2 singles punch of seniors Bushra Memon and Chloe Trave.

"Just getting here was a great accomplishment for us," Atlantic City coach Jack Sorensen said of his team's appearance in Group 4 state semifinals at Mercer County Park. "This has been a special year."

Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223 or panastasia@phillynews.com.

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