After a hard-fought match, Delta defeated Yorktown on Saturday morning to secure their 31st straight sectional championship victory, the third longest active streak in Indiana.
Out of the five matches played today, the Eagles took one doubles match and two singles matches.
Delta’s No.1 doubles, seniors Preston Shanayda and Dalton Royals, are now 20-3 on the season after their strong showing today. Following the match, Shanayda spoke about how they were able to secure the win.
“We won that first set nice and quick,” Shanayda said “We lost a few games in the second but in reality, we were still up. Then we saw them starting to break down… It definitely gave us some confidence”.
Shanayda also spoke about how proud he is of his doubles partner, Dalton, and what they achieved this season.
“This season has been pretty rewarding,” he said.“Actually, a lot better than I expected. It [has] turned out really good for us.”
Longtime Eagles head coach Tim Cleland has been a part of girls and boys tennis at the school for the past 61 (34 seasons with boys, 28 seasons with girls) seasons. Even with this experience, he said the win today was special, as it showcased his team's tenacity.
“When it’s sectional, usually, the opponents are going to give you a pretty good battle,” Cleland said, “For example, that second doubles we got lost a little bit in that second set, just not thinking it too well. I just got them to calm down and then they started getting the balls in.”
Cleland also cited the half-a-century old rivalry between the two schools fueling the fire and upping the aggression today.
“Our schools have been rivals for 50 years or longer,” he said. “They always enjoy going up against each other and individually, it is always a big win for us every time we play.”
Senior singles player Simon Marlow came into this match with the rivalry in mind. Marlow lost to his opponent earlier in the season and had the goal of getting a win over him in his last sectional match for Delta tennis.
Even though he fell in the match, Marlow called out the benefits that the rivalry gave to the Eagles.
“I had a little extra in me because he beat me earlier this year,” Marlow started, “Obviously I didn't get it done, but that extra motivation helped push me.”
With the regional spot secured, there is a lot to be excited about. However, Cleland warns that you should not ignore the players’ performance by just looking at the overall success Delta has had in the past.
“The team and the school have won a lot in a row, but the kids that are playing, it's only their first or their second [sectional],” he said. “The 30 [sectionals] that happened before they got here, they have no experience with that.”
Delta will play at regionals on Tuesday, Oct. 3rd in Noblesville.
Contact Trinity Rea via email at trinity.rea@bsu.edu or on X @thetrinityrea.
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