Shantha Weit, left, and Megan Zgodzinski earned a spot at the state tennis tournament. (Submitted photo)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

The Beacon’s own Megan Zgodzinski and doubles teammate Shantha Weit will head to the state tennis tournament in Cincinnati on Thursday. The pair competed in the Northwest Ohio District semifinals and finals today, and ended with a guaranteed top 2 seed spot at State.

Zgodzinski and Weit defeated Olivia Stumbo and Lorena Guardia from Ottawa Hills in an exhausting three-hour semifinal match. The pair lost in the finals to Sophia Avram and Mari Shannon from Maumee Valley. Their coach, Joe Miller, praised the girls tenacity during a difficult day on the court.

“I’m proud of the girls for finding a way to grind out a win to guarantee themselves a top 2 seed at State. In the finals, we just ran out of gas and also ran into a buzzsaw,” Miller said. “That Maumee Valley doubles team features Northwest Ohio’s best overall player, Mari Shannon, who won matches at State last year in singles, as well as the region’s top doubles player in Sophia Avram.”

The girls’ dedication and skill give Port Clinton a proud place at State.

“It’s so difficult to even make it to State in tennis; there’s only two divisions that each send 16 singles players and 16 doubles teams,” Miller said. “For Megan and Shantha to capture one of those top seeds is a remarkable accomplishment and gives them a chance to make a little noise in Cincy next Thursday.”