OIA Champion Mililani Heads To Girls State Tennis Tourney
By Jack Danilewicz
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Count Mililani girls tennis coach May Ann Beamer among those who are true to the old sports adage that practice is “game-pace.”
“If you give 100 percent in practice every day, when you play a match, you will give 100 percent,” said Beamer.“Every match you take seriously.You give your best effort, and you don’t play down to anyone. Some of the freshmen have a hard time getting used to the regimen, but this team has really worked hard.”
As with past teams, Beamer’s current Trojan girls have the results to show for their efforts, having recently captured a second straight Oahu Interscholastic Association overall team title. The stakes are even higher for Beamer and Mililani next week when they travel to Kona on the Big Island for the Carlsmith Ball 2008 state tennis championships. Ten of 12 members of the Trojan girls team qualified for the state tournament - individually, an impressive figure for any program, even one with Mililani’s rich tradition.
Indeed, within their own OIA format, Mililani has dominated the past two seasons going 55-0 and 51-0, respectively, in team competition. In hopes of keeping that momentum going, they will arrive in Kona a day early next week to acclimate themselves to the surroundings. The Carlsmith Ball 2008 state tennis championships will run May 7-10 at the Holua Tennis Complex and Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort.
“We’re really looking forward to going there - Kona is one of my favorite places - and the kids like to get away,” said Beamer, who has coached the Mililani girls team to 10 OIA titles and two state championships in her 17 years at the school.
“We’ll have time to practice at Holua (tennis complex) and get situated.”
Mililani was to take part in the overall OIA individual championships last weekend before having approximately a week of practice time prior to the state tournament. Among the Trojans’ priorities in recent days has been fine-tuning their strategy, according to their coach.
“Our strokes and the way we play is set already - we don’t want to change anything there,” she said. “What we really work on are strategy and (hitting) combinations. We want them to be able to set themselves up to hit to their strength and to be able to counter any shot given to them.”
Senior Megan Yoshimoto is one of the reasons the Trojans have lived up to their now-customary preseason expectations. The team’s No. 1 singles player, Yoshimoto was seeking a second straight OIA individual title over the weekend. She had won a second West Division championship recently and figures to receive a favorable seed for the state finals when the tournament’s pairings are released early next week.
“Megan is very strong - we hope she can go even further,” Beamer said of Yoshimoto, who made the semifinals last May.
Beamer also is hoping her doubles teams can have an impact in the state tournament next week. At the recent OIA West finals, Mililani’s toughest competition in the doubles division came largely from within as the Trojans placed first, second and third.
Senior Alyssa Shimizu and sophomore Adrienne Hamada lead the way at first doubles. The pair recently captured the West title and were the OIA’s No. 1 seed over the weekend in the overall individuals. Shimizu played alongside Erin Yamamoto last year, and the pair made it to the state finals before being defeated by Ashley Ohira and Nicole Nakaoka of Punahou. Yamamoto’s talents now belong to the University of Colorado, prompting Beamer to shift Hamada from singles to doubles for this season.
“Adrienne is a very, very good net player,“Beamer said.“Someone at another school was recently referring to her as the vacuum cleaner. Alyssa sets her up, and Adrienne cleans up at the net. Alyssa is like a setter in volleyball. She’s a very steady and calm individual, and she has the best return-of-serve.”
The Trojans also qualified three other doubles teams - Erica Kunihisa/Marissa Arakaki, Rachael Mizuno/Melissa Monette, and Jenna Maligro and Kaylee Yamamoto - for the state tournament as well as freshman Taylor Oyama in singles. Sophomore Chanel Hebaru and freshman Melissa Ching round out the team.
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