Miraleste Girl Netters Slip in CIF Finals

Youth meant both boom and bust to the Miraleste High girls tennis team this year.

Relying on a starting lineup of six underclassmen, the Marauders typically waltzed through the regular season undefeated and still hadn’t been tested through three rounds of postseason play. But in the CIF 4-A finals Tuesday at the Claremont Club in Claremont, inexperience and possibly overconfidence caught up with the two-time defending champions.

Miraleste and Corona Del Mar tied, 9-9, but the Sea Kings earned the crown because they bested the Marauders in games, 71-65.

According to No. 1 Miraleste singles player Kim Po, the loss could be attributed to a failure of some of her younger teammates to understand that the match could easily be decided on games.

“I didn’t think we could win it easily, but there were some who thought we could,” said Po, the state’s top-rated player in the 18-year-old division. “All of us who knew it was going to be hard were trying to tell everyone that they have to get games, that it is going to be 9-9, but a lot of the younger people didn’t realize.”

The rejuvenated Sea Kings, who featured an altered lineup after losing a 13-5 regular season match at Miraleste, rode into the winner’s circle largely because of two spirited singles victories from senior Iliana Adame.

“That was the key,” said Miraleste Coach Jim Hanson.

Though displeased with the defeat, Hanson’s thoughts quickly turned to the promise of his young team, which finished 13-1. “You want the girls to keep the (championship) streak going, but we’ve been in the finals five straight years,” Hanson said proudly, “and we’ll be there next year, too.”