TENNIS SWINGS INTO ACTION

’Canes and Fins face off on Opening Day

Prep tennis season officially opened on Feb. 8 when two Keys teams met in Tavernier to begin with a friendly in-county match. Coral Shores was the big winner on opening day, but Marathon will have a chance to improve with three more matchups throughout the season.

The Lady ’Canes swept past the Fins, winning all their singles and doubles matchups. Coral Shores’ Olivia Hughes, Kai Guth, Macy Cakans and Guadalupe Guerrero outmatched the Dolphins in singles, then the teams of Hughes/Guth and Cakans/Guerrero partnered up to win their doubles matches.

For the gentlemen, Marathon’s Adrien Holdinga won his singles match, then teamed up with Hunter Claflin to win a doubles match as well. Coral Shores’ Aiden Althouse and Johan Smith started their seasons off with victories in singles play.

Members of the Marathon Dolphins and Coral Shores Hurricanes tennis teams square off in a season-opening matchup in the Upper Keys on Feb. 8. DOUG FINGER/Keys Weekly

Marathon traveled to Key West on Feb. 10 for a preseason track meet under the tutelage of coach Darby Sheehan. Sheehan has been the Fins’ pole vault coach for several years, but has stepped up to the head coach position this season. Marathon used the preseason meet to give athletes an opportunity to try out some new events.

Monroe County rivals meet for preseason showdown

Key West outscored Marathon 56-30. The Conchs swept the relay events, winning the 4x100m with Clerf Alexandre, Jacob Lavallee, Shane Lavallee and James Reynolds. Shane Lavallee was also a member of the winning 4x400m team with fellow Conchs Jacob Nicholsen, Te’Von Watson and Suharevskis Niks-Davis. Colbin Hill, Jerven Louis and Lucas and Marcos Montiel won the 4x800m relay.

Niks-Davis took first in the 110m hurdles and Nicholsen won the 400m. In field events, Brondson Etienne won high jump, Josh Canterbury won pole vault and discus and Benndy Ambrose won the shot put event.

The Dolphins had quite a few standouts of their own. Marathon’s Mikail “Jay” Marshall had big wins in the 100m and 200m sprinting events, while Vance Bursa swept the distance and middle distance events, winning the 800m, 1600m and 3200m. Fab Louis Jeune placed first in long and triple jump, and Mason Buxton had a personal best javelin toss that was good enough for first place.

The Lady Conchs had a slightly more decisive win, outscoring the Fins 66-30. Key West’s girls also swept the relays. The first-place 4x100m team consisted of Dazmine Jenkins, Savannah Chadic, Lilia Mook and Rodemaelle Cineus. Chadic and Jenkins teamed up with Naima Thomas and Nikole Tomita in the 4x400m and Alicia Bahri, Rose Detwiler, Laira Anaya and Caylaa Makimaa ran the 4x800m relay.

Chadic crossed the line first in the 200m, giving her three top finishes for the meet. Other first-place finishers for the Lady Conchs were Naima Thomas (400m), Laira Anaya (800m), Jenesis Perloff (100m hurdles), Grace Andrew (400m hurdles) and Caylaa Makimaa, who won both the 1600m and 3200m runs.

In the field, Abby Collins had the winning javelin toss, Anabel Portuondo was tops in pole vault and Abigail Cowen won the long and triple jump events.

The Lady Fins did well in the field with wins in the high jump by Caylie Globe, discus by Janiya Pyfrom and shot put by Nicole Merryman. Abrianna Marshall was the lone Lady Fin runner with a first-place finish in the 100m.

The regulation season for track and field opens Thursday, Feb. 16 and Marathon and Coral Shores will not be wasting any time, meeting at Coral Shores on that date. Key West opens its regular season at Palmer on Friday, Feb. 17.

South Florida Symphony’s 25th Anniversary Season Celebration continues as Maestra Sebrina Alfonso conducts Brahms’ passionate Double Concerto – featuring emerging duo, violinist Geneva Lewis and cellist Gabriel Martins – along with Sibelius’ majestic FifthSymphony and the spirited overture to Berlioz’s opera Béatrice et Bénédict

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