THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 22, 1996 TAG: 9605220515
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 47 lines
When it happened three weeks ago, the Lakeland Cavaliers simply shrugged and eagerly anticipated a rematch. But when it happened again Tuesday, the Cavaliers tipped their caps and admitted the obvious.
``The better team won,'' Lakeland's Lisa Allmond after Poquoson knocked off the Cavaliers, 6-3, in the Region I girls tennis final at Lake Meade Landing Tennis Complex.
Lakeland did have the best doubles team, though. The Cavaliers' Kelly Lewis and Angela Jones downed Poquoson's Andrea Hunter and Laura Schempf in three sets to capture the regional doubles title.
Hunter scored a three-set victory over Schempf to win the singles crown. All champions advance to the Group AA tournament May 29-30 in Salem.
The team victory by Poquoson, which also beat the Cavaliers, 5-4, on May 2, ended Lakeland's three-year reign as regional champions and closed out the Cavaliers' bid for a second state title. Lakeland (7-2) finished second in Group AA a year ago, and won the only team state crown in the school's six-year existence in 1993.
The Islanders clinched Tuesday's final by winning five singles matches. Allmond, undefeated in team matches, picked up Lakelsnd's lone singles victory with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Valerie Sledd.
Lakeland forced third sets in two of the singles matches, but Poquoson's Laura Schempf outdueled Angela Jones, 6-7, 7-3, 6-4, at No. 2, and the Islanders' Blair Hardaway prevailed over Amanda Joyner, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 in the clincher at No. 6. Hardaway had beaten Joyner, 6-0, 6-0, three weeks ago.
In the Region I boys tournament, York's Sean Maymi stunned Poquoson's Nick Laca, 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, to win the singles title. Laca had beaten Maymi three times this season, including earlier Tuesday in the team final. Maymi's Falcons also won the team tournament, and Maymi and Eric Christianson won the doubles crown.
Last year, Maymi's brother, Carl, also took titles in all three events, then repeated the feat at the Group AA state tournament.
In the Eastern Region tournament, Cox' Ryan Davidson and Nathan Shanks set up a rematch of their Beach District final by rolling to the Eastern Region championship match Tuesday at Ocean Lakes.
The victories by Shanks and Davidson guarantee Cox its first regional champion since Sean White won his third straight in 1990. Both players qualified for the Group AAA singles tournament beginning May 31.
The singles final is scheduled for today at 9 a.m. at Ocean Lakes. The doubles semifinals are set for 11 a.m., followed by the final. by CNB