Kiera Coulter went 7-2 in No. 1 singles to lead the J. Taylor Finley Middle School girls’ tennis team this fall.
Coulter utilized hard work, sheer determination and her natural athleticism to pace the squad. The 13 year old is exceptionally talented and well positioned to make an impact with the Blue Devil high school program as soon as next fall.
Jane Callery went 5-4 in No. 2 singles. Another hardworking young athlete, she is projected to be another of Huntington’s top players in the near future.
Seventh grader Emily Kustera was 4-3 in doubles and 2-0 in singles. Eighth Maya Sakellarios compiled a 5-4 mark in singles. Rachel Learned also shined.
Finley also counted upon seventh graders Liva Camarata, Madeline Erickson, Adriana Flores Matute, Vincenza Garofalo, Tess Markotsis, Elizabeth Michaelson and Erika Reyes and eighth graders Grace Carmody, Jackeline Guevara-Medina, Ellie Kaufman and Miladys Vila-Saz.
“It was a great season and fun to play tennis with my friends,” Coulter said. “Everyone improved."
Finley defeated both Hauppauge (6-1 and 4-3) and Elwood (6-1 and 6-1) in home and away matches. The team dropped a pair of 5-2 matches to Stimson and also fell to Commack (7-0), East Northport (4-3) and Oldfield (6-1).
“We had a very inexperienced team that worked hard,” head coach Eric Triolo said. “Throughout the season, seeing the improvement in some of the girls was a positive.”
With seven players returning, Finley is anticipating a successful season next fall. “Emily Kustera and Tess Markotsis will return as our top players next year,” Triolo said.
