Libby Simmons snared first place in the women’s singles bracket of the Lima Area Tennis Association tournament Sunday.
LIMA – Shawnee’s Mason Stahl made history on Sunday.
In 2018, Stahl notched the Lima Area Tennis Association (LATA) junior singles title.
On Sunday, the incoming senior at Shawnee won the LATA men’s open title at the University of Northwestern Ohio tennis courts.
Stahl defeated University of Northwestern Ohio junior Jacob Ramirez in the finals Sunday, 6-2, 6-3. Ramirez played his high school tennis at Elida.
Stahl said he was not concerned about the history that would be made, if he won the LATA title this weekend.
“I was just focused on the match (against Ramirez). I was hoping that I could win it,” Stahl said.
Stahl got out to a strong start Sunday, winning the first set with relative ease. However, Ramirez came roaring back in the second set and made a match of it.
“I just played consistent. … I knew he was an aggressive player,” Stahl said. “So, I just played my game, kept the ball in, hoping that he would make the mistakes.”
As a sophomore at Shawnee, Stahl was a Division II state qualifier in singles. This past school year, Stahl was a district qualifier in doubles.
In the women’s open final Sunday, Lima Central Catholic junior Libby Simmons bounced back after losing the first set 3-6 to Van Wert senior Grace Lott, and went on to defeat Lott in a three-set match, 6-0, 6-1.
“I definitely was nervous about it, because, obviously, I was down and I knew I would have to get the second set; and then we would have to play a third set,” Simmons said, “So, I just tried to keep my head in the game and tried to keep the rallies long.”
Simmons realized it was going to be a challenge to make it to Sunday’s finals. She was very familiar with the competition at this weekend’s tournament.
“I know that my friends are really good. So, I knew there were going to be hard matches. But I tried to do the best that I could,” Simmons said.
Simmons qualified in singles for the Division II state tennis tournament this past fall for the Thunderbirds. She wants to make a return to the state tourney this coming school year.
“I really want to go back. It was a great experience,” Simmons said with a grin.
In Sunday’s back draw, Shawnee senior Mac Davis defeated Mark Czubik 6-0, 6-1.
On the women’s side, Abby Beck, a senior at Lima Senior, defeated Van Wert’s Olivia Quillen 6-2, 6-3 to win the back draw title.
Davis has now won the back draw title the past two years. However, he came in to this weekend’s tournament, hoping to make it to the finals in the open bracket.
“I was hoping for that (to play for the open title),” Davis said. “But unfortunately, I didn’t make it that far this year. I played Brandon (Amstutz) in the second round (on Saturday), because I had a bye in the first (round). We had a very close match.”
Amstutz defeated Davis on Saturday, 7-6(3), 0-6, 10-7.
Davis and Stahl teamed up for doubles this past school year at Shawnee.
“I was playing doubles with Mason (Stahl) this past school year,” Davis said. “We made it to districts and lost in the second round to the district champions.”
Beck knew Sunday’s back draw finals match against Quillen would be a tough one.
“It was a really good match,” Beck said. “I went to this camp at Van Wert and we played against each other, and she actually beat me.
“So, going in (to Sunday’s match), I was pretty nervous to play her, just because of that. But I knew if I stayed consistent, that I would get the points in the end.”
