By: Haley Hunt, Tenacity Intern and Special Correspondent

The Staniar Open is Tenacity’s biggest tournament for 6^th grade students. It is for Tenacity athletes what a Grand Slam tournament is for professional tennis players: the event that makes all of their training worthwhile.

Just four players from each site earn the chance to represent their schools at this event. Throughout the season, coaches kept a close watch on their players’ performance. Unlike the professional circuit, however, on-court success is not the only component used to determine qualification. The players’ sportsmanship, receptivity to coaching, attention to directions, leadership, and work ethic, are all factors that contribute to who makes the team.

The Staniar Open is played round robin style, and each school competes in a 1^st doubles and 2^nd doubles flight. The top two teams from each flight face off in a final. After the round robin and finals, total number of games won are tallied, and the team with the most games won, wins the event.

When it was all said and done, the Mary E. Curley Flying Lions won this year’s Staniar Open. The victory marks an unprecedented 3-peat for the Curley and their coach, Payne Schanski.

This season, the Curley has seized every opportunity to showcase their dominance as a top team. Their near perfect regular season record and their dual qualification for the finals at the Staniar bolster this claim.

The JMann also put in a strong performance at the Staniar. The Tigers battled their way to a second place finish, including winning the first doubles flight. Based on that result, Abdu Alfageeh and Dilon Portillo can claim the title of “best 6^th grade doubles team” in all of Tenacity.

The Umana’s performance at the Staniar Open was consistent with their already excellent record. From the moment they stepped out on the Harvard courts, the team clinched several close matches. While not quite mustering the points for the team title, the Umana’s 2^nd doubles team, Elijah Canales and Perla Ortiz, did emerge as the flight champion.

The Washington Irving also competed tough throughout the event. Both of their doubles teams were in the hunt to qualify for the finals, but got edged out. Their first doubles team, Damian Palomin and Joevanny Wright, got particularly hot toward the end of the event, but it wasn’t quite enough. The Irving Warriors were in the hunt though and will learn from this near miss.

The DMC also strung together a terrific set of wins, but fell just short. Nonetheless, the team’s strong showing speaks to their immense growth as a program, especially after facing a regular season record of 1-4. With just a few points separating the top schools, they can confidently consider themselves a part of the leading group. The DMC also earned the most spirit points at this event, outfitted as they were in intimidating blue headbands.

The Frederick also played hard and had some great moments. Their team approached each match with outstanding sportsmanship, grit, and positivity. Their players battled through some tough competition, but ultimately fell just short of sealing those tossup matches.

Looking forward to next week, the top seventh and eighth grade players from these schools will take the court during Friday’s action at the eleventh annual Crane Cup Championship.