Anne Alfaro, Greely senior: An exchange student from Pamplona, Spain, Alfaro never lost in team competition and led the Rangers to a 16-0 record and the Class B state championship. Seeded eighth in the singles state tournament, she reached the quarterfinals before falling to No. 1 Mya Vincent of Edward Little.
Olivia Cutone, Kennebunk sophomore: Our 2022 Player of the Year, Cutone remained unbeaten in her high school career. She led the Rams to a 13-2 record and the Class A South final. Once again she opted out of the singles state tournament in order to play a national event in Georgia.
Olivia Guinard, Sanford junior: Guinard went 11-1 in the regular season, losing only to Olivia Cutone. As the No. 4 seed in the state singles tournament, Guinard advanced to the quarterfinals before falling 6-1, 6-3 to No. 5 Sofia Kirtchev, who avenged a season-opening loss to Guinard.
Sofia Kirtchev, Falmouth freshman: Kirtchev led the Navigators to the Class A state final, where she nearly sprang an upset on singles state champ Coco Meserve before falling in three sets. As the fifth seed in the singles tournament, Kirtchev reached the semifinals before losing 6-3, 6-3 to No. 1 Mya Vincent.
Coco Meserve, Brunswick junior: Meserve led the Dragons to the Class A state championship and delivered the decisive point with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Falmouth’s Sofia Kirtchev. Seeded second in the singles tournament, Meserve returned to the finals for a second year and beat No. 1 Mya Vincent 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Haylie Peacock, Gardiner junior: Peacock was unbeaten in team competition for the Tigers. After reaching the Round of 16 in state singles a year ago, she drew the sixth seed and upset No. 3 Amber Woods to reach the semifinals before falling 6-4, 6-4 to eventual champion Coco Meserve.
Mya Vincent, Edward Little senior: Vincent was the top seed in the state singles tournament and reached the final before falling in three sets to Coco Meserve. In early May, Vincent defeated Meserve in a regular-season match, 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10). An injured back limited her to six matches, all victories, for the winless Red Eddies. She plans on a gap year before starting college in 2024.
Amber Woods, Scarborough senior: Woods went 10-3 in team competition to lead the Red Storm to a 12-2 mark. She lost only to Olivia Cutone and Sofia Kirtchev. In state singles, the third-seeded Woods reached the quarterfinals before falling to No. 6 Haylie Peacock. Woods plans to continue her tennis career at Endicott College.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Lou Gingras, Maranacook: After entering the season needing to replace five members of his varsity lineup, Gingras figured a rebuilding year would be necessary before the Black Bears would be competitive. Instead, Maranacook went 14-2 and captured the Class C state title, the first in school history, with a 4-1 decision over Washington Academy. The two losses were to Class B regional finalists Waterville and Lincoln Academy by 3-2 scores, and Maranacook later beat Waterville. “It’s kind of a dream team for me, after losing that many last year,” Gingras said. “They’ve all contributed at different times of the year and really played as a team.”
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