Hamilton-Wenham nets third straight Div. 4 girls tennis championship

CAMBRIDGE — For the third straight season, top-seeded Hamilton-Wenham has dominated to win a state title in the Div. 4 girls team tennis tournament.

Thanks to a guiding hand from a three-year starter at No. 2 singles and a rising sophomore at No. 1, the Generals won handedly over No. 3 Lynnfield 5-0 at the duPont tennis courts at MIT on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a nice feeling,” said Generals coach Joe Maher about the three-peat. “The fact of the matter is I have two great players and then I’ve got a lot of unbelievable talent around them. That just makes a difference and I just try to surround them with positivity and good vibes and we just do our best.”

Junior Naomi Provost won the first point for Hamilton-Wenham (19-2) over sophomore Lily Alves 6-0, 6-0 and soon after No. 1 sophomore Emma Jani, who is home-schooled, swept junior Paige Martino 6-0, 6-1 to quickly go up 2-0 in the match.

“I love this team,” Provost said about stepping up when senior Sky Jara due to a foot injury. “Honestly, there’s so many leaders that we all just work together.”

The match-deciding third point came in second doubles as seniors Angelina Meimeteas and Madeline Minich won 6-3, 6-1 over sophomore Victoria McCrann and freshman Emma Wagon.

Lynnfield (16-7) kept it closer in the second sets in third singles and first doubles, but Hamilton-Wenham still swept in those matches as well.

Senior Ellie Holbrooks won 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) over senior Maddie Sieve in third singles and the tandem of senior Sienna Gregory and sophomore Emily McIntosh defeated senior Leticia Marafon and junior Ella Hayman 6-4, 7-5.