Orange’s postseason dominance continued as the Lions swept the singles and doubles competitions at the Division II district tennis tournament at Springside Athletic Club in Akron on Saturday.
The Lions, who swept both the Chagrin Valley Conference tournament and Strongsville Sectional brackets, advanced two singles players and two doubles teams to next weekend’s state tournament.
Ben Pomeranets, the reigning Division II singles state champion, cruised to the district title with a 4-0 record.
He swept his first three district opponents, 6-0, 6-0, and then topped University School’s Dean Kirchick in the championship match, 6-2, 6-1.
Beachwood’s Landis Teren placed fourth and Orange’s Krish Mehra was fifth to earn their state tournament berths.
Teren reached the semifinals before falling to Pomeranets and then dropped his third-place match to St. Vincent-St. Mary’s Ben McKnight, 6-0, 6-3. Mehra lost to McKnight in the quarterfinals and then beat Perry’s Allen Morris in the consolation semifinals. He closed out his tournament run with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Triway’s Paul Self in the fifth-place match.
Oranges’ Chika Nwaozuzu and Gabi Kalir are returning to the state tournament after winning the district doubles championship.
Nwaozuzu placed fourth in singles last spring while Kalir teamed up with Jake Goldstein to finish as the 2022 doubles state runner-up.
Nwaozuzu and Kalir went 4-0 with two 6-0, 6-0 wins, and a 6-0, 6-4 victory in the semifinals. They defeated Hawken’s Axel Neely and Tyler Snyder in the championship match, 6-2, 6-1.
Orange’s Ace Bloom and Gabe Guiler placed fourth to also advance to the state tournament.
The state tournament will be held at Ohio State University’s Ty Tucker Tennis Center on May 25 and 26.
