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Topspin: Meet the 2024 All-Big Bend boys, girls tennis Players, Coaches of the Year

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Topspin: Meet the 2024 All-Big Bend boys, girls tennis Players, Coaches of the Year

The tennis courts were busy this year around the Big Bend, with area teams and athletes playing their way into success during the 2023-24 season.

Area programs like Leon, Florida High, Maclay and Chiles continued to find success both with individual players and as teams, with the Lions boys team and both the Seminoles boys and girls winning district championships, and the boys teams for Leon and Florida High winning regional titles.

A number of individual state qualifiers represented the Big Bend at the state championship tournaments in Orlando. With so much action this season, here are the 2024 All-Big Bend Tennis teams!

2024 All-Big Bend boys tennis Player of the Year: Gabe Garcia, Jr., Leon

There is no shortage of individual talent on the Big Bend boys tennis circuit, with a number of players stepping up, but none more so than Leon junior Gabe Garcia.

One of the most dominant players in the area, Garcia posted a 15-2 singles record this season as the Leon number one, including an undefeated record in the area, helping his team to both a 3A District 1 and 3A Region 1 championship, also qualifying for the state tournament as an individual. Garcia was also a force on the doubles court, posting a 14-2 doubles record in the No. 1 spot.

For his individual success this season, Leon’s Gabe Garcia has been recognized as the Boys All-Big Bend tennis Player of the Year!

2024 All-Big Bend girls tennis Player of the Year: Lillian Zhang, Jr. Chiles

For the second year in a row, Chiles tennis star Lillian Zhang dominated the Big Bend tennis scene, posting an undefeated record against the area and making a run in the individual 3A State tournament.

Posting a 14-2 singles record in the number one spot for the Timberwolves, Zhang continued to impress in the state of Florida this season, winning both her 3A Region 1 and 3A District 2 final matches for Chiles. Zhang made it to the individual 3A State quarterfinals, falling to the eventual champion. Zhang was also a star on the doubles scene, more on that later, but she posted an 11-4 record in the No. 1 doubles spot.

For her standout success on the individual court this season, Chiles’s Lillian Zhang has been awarded the All-Big Bend Girls Tennis Player of the Year

2024 All-Big Bend boys tennis Doubles Pair of the Year: Sebastian Roane, Jr., and Carter Costin, Sr., Florida High

It’s a familiar feeling for Florida High’s Sebastian Roane, just with a different partner. A year after winning the doubles pair of the year with his older brother Gabriel, Sebastian goes back-to-back as the doubles winner with senior Carter Costin.

The pair electrified the Big Bend courts this season, posting an 8-1 record and winning the City Championship, Florida High’s third straight team victory. The duo picked up wins in both the 1A District 2 tournament and the 1A Region 1 tournament, helping lead the Seminoles to a regional title and 1A State quarterfinal appearance.

Individually, Roane went 9-4 and Costin went a perfect 7-0 for the Seminoles. For their success on the court, Florida High’s Sebastien Roane and Carter Costin are recognized as the All-Big Bend Boys Tennis Doubles Pair of the Year!

2024 All-Big Bend girls tennis Doubles Pair of the Year: Megan Vegas, Jr., and Autumn Daniels 8th, Maclay, and Lillian Zhang, Jr., and Tova Krutchik, Jr., Chiles

It’s a shared honor for Maclay’s Megan Vegas and Autumn Daniels and Chiles’s Lillian Zhang and Tova Krutchik, as the duo of duos are the Co-All-Big Bend Girls Tennis Doubles Pair of the Year!

Maclay’s Vegas earns her second straight doubles pair of the year honor, earning the recognition with a new partner this year, 8th grader Autumn Daniels. The duo was one of the Big Bend’s very best, posting a record and making a run to the girl’s 1A State quarterfinals.

Individually, Vegas went 6-3 and Daniels posted a 13-1 record.

Chiles’s Lillian Zhang appears for the second team on the All-Big Bend honors, this time with teammate Tova Krutchik as the duo became one of the premier tennis pairs this season with an 11-4 record. The duo lost once to an area program, that being Maclay’s pair of Vegas and Daniels.

Individually, Zhang went 14-2 and Krutchick went 10-6.

For the two pairs’ success on the tennis court this season, Maclay’s Megan Vegas and Autumn Daniels and Chiles’s Lillian Zhang and Tova Krutchik have been named the Co-All-Big Bend Doubles Pair of the Year.

2024 All-Big Bend Boy’s Co-Coach of the Year: Kevin Record, Leon, and Gabriel Roane, Florida High

The honors are shared between Leon’s Kevin Record and Florida High’s Gabriel Roane!

Both boy’s programs won district and regional titles under their respective coaches, with Recrod leading the Lions to a 14-3 record and 3A State quarterfinal appearance.

Roane led the Seminoles to a 12-10-1 record and a 1A State quarterfinal appearance in his first season as the program’s head coach, also winning Florida High’s third straight City Championship.

Record earned the Coach of the Year honor last season, and for the second straight year, he finds himself earning a share of the recognition.

For both Kevin Record’s and Gabriel Roane’s team success this season, the pair have been named the 2024 All-Big Bend Boy’s Tennis Co-Coach of the Year!

2024 All-Big Bend Girl’s Coach of the Year: Mary Phillips Smith, Maclay

Maclay’s girls tennis was one of the area’s top programs this season, winning the Class 1A District 2 title and making it the Marauders to the 1A Region 1 final under head coach Mary Phillips Smith.

One of the area’s most competitive teams, Smith’s Marauders were led by brilliant individual and doubles efforts from players like Megan Vegas, Autumn Daniels, Anissa Lakshmin and Maria Boulos, one of the area’s most complete teams across the board.

With Vegas, both as a pair and individual, and Daniels qualifying for the state tournament, Maclay enjoyed success deep into the postseason this year.

For her efforts leading Maclay’s girls tennis program, Mary Phillips Smith has been named the All-Big Bend Girls Tennis Coach of the Year!

2024 All-Big Bend Boys Tennis First-Team

Sebastian Roane, Jr., Florida High: 9-4 singles record, 10-4 doubles record

Carter Costin, Sr., Florida High: 11-0 singles record, 8-1 doubles record

Evan Rodenberg, 8th, Florida High: 9-0 singles record, 8-1 doubles record

Cade Costin, Fr., Florida High: 9-0 singles record, 8-2 doubles record

Gabe Garcia, Jr., Leon: 15-2 singles record, 14-2 doubles record

Andy Lara, Jr., Leon: 10-6 singles record, 12-4 doubles record

Gordon Nicholson, Sr., Leon: 13-3 singles record, 15-2 doubles record

Bradley Carns, Sr., Maclay: 9-5 singles record, 6-6 doubles record

Michael Metarko, So., Chiles: 7-7 singles record, 8-6 doubles record

2024 All-Big Bend Boys Tennis Second-Team

Davis Wagnom, Sr., Leon: 12-5 singles record, 5-2 doubles record

Benjamin Brooks, Sr., Leon: 11-4 singles record, 2-0 doubles record

Paul Beckham, Sr., Leon: 13-4 singles record, 10-2 doubles record

Sammy Guerrero, So., Chiles: 9-6 singles record, 10-2 doubles record

Daniel Ding, Jr., Chiles: 12-1 singles record, 2-1 doubles record

William Patterson, Sr.,Maclay: 4-1 singles record, 7-7 doubles record

Shravan Kambham, Jr., Rickards: 14-1 singles record, 13-1 doubles record

Daniel Duan, So., Chiles: 12-3 singles record, 2-1 doubles record

Shawn Sun, Fr., Chiles: 11-5 singles record, 9-5 doubles record

2024 All-Big Bend Boys Tennis Honorable Mentions

Alex Wang, So., Maclay: 8-7 singles record,

Carter Brazzell, Jr., Chiles: 3-0 singles record, 8-4 doubles record

Nicholas Wahl, Sr., Leon: 1-0 singles record

Tate North, Sr., Leon

Asher Robertson, Jr., Lincoln: 2-12 singles record, 3-11 doubles record

Matt Rau, Jr., Wakulla: 8-2 singles record, 5-4 doubles record

Mason Sandberg, Jr., Wakulla: 7-1 singles record, 7-3 doubles record

Krish Patel, 7th, Maclay: 6-6 singles record

Jake Lyon, Sr., Maclay: 6-5 singles record, 3-2 doubles record 

Trevor Tillander, Sr., Rickards: 13-3 singles record, 12-4 doubles record

Kevin Wang, Sr., Rickards: 11-3 singles record, 8-3 doubles record

Braxton O’Leary, So., Community Christian: 4-11 singles record, 5-10 doubles record

Josh Bouck, Sr., Community Christian: 3-9 singles record, 4-8 doubles record

2024 All-Big Bend Girls Tennis First-Team

Riley Long, Sr., Leon: 1-4 singles record, 5-7 doubles record

Mason Ann Evans, Sr., Leon: 4-8 singles record, 6-8 doubles record

Helen Conn, Sr., Leon: 8-5 singles record, 10-5 doubles record

Lillian Zhang, Jr., Chiles: 14-2 singles record, 11-4 doubles record

Sofia Brooks, Jr., Florida High: 9-3 singles record, 5-4 doubles record

Megan Vegas, Jr., Maclay: 6-3 singles record, 7-2 doubles record

Autumn Daniels, 8th, Maclay: 13-1 singles record, 8-2 doubles record

2024 All-Big Bend Girls Tennis Second-Team

Siri DaVidi, So., Lincoln: 8-7 singles record, 4-8 doubles record

Lily Morgan, 8th, Florida High: 8-4 singles record, 2-1 doubles record 

Jennifer Eagan, Fr., Chiles: 9-6 singles record, 8-4 doubles record

Sarah Zhou, Sr., Chiles: 11-4 singles record, 6-2 doubles record

Lauren Neely, Sr., Leon: 10-5 singles record, 10-5 doubles record

Anissa Lakshmin, Sr., Maclay: 9-2 singles record, 6-3 doubles record

Kaitlyn Moss, Sr., Wakulla: 8-4 singles record, 9-4 doubles record

2024 All-Big Bend Girls Tennis Honorable Mentions

Molly Cohen, Sr., Leon: 6-1 singles record, 1-0 doubles record

Emilee Walker, Sr., Florida High: 8-3 singles record, 7-4 doubles record

Ava Corley, Sr., Florida High: 8-4 singles record, 7-4 doubles record

Rebekah Adams, So., Community Christian: 7-8 singles record, 6-9 doubles record

Maria Boulos, Sr., Maclay: 3-6 singles record, 7-2 doubles record

Kenya Patel, Fr., Maclay: 9-1 singles record, 1-1 doubles record

Tova Krutchik, Jr., Chiles: 10-6 singles record, 11-4 doubles record

Sienna Phelps, Jr., Chiles: 8-5 singles record, 4-1 doubles record

Aubrey Rodriguez, Fr., Chiles: 4-1 singles record, 5-3 doubles record

Mackenzie Anderson, Jr., Wakulla: 8-4 singles record, 9-4 doubles record

Hannah Land, Sr., Wakulla: 11-2 singles record, 6-7 doubles record

Madi Platt, 8th, Florida High: 6-6 singles record, 2-2 doubles record

Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

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