SHORELINE — A steady sprinkle washed away a crosstown showdown for first place in the Western Conference 4A South Division girls tennis race.
After about 10 minutes of drizzly warm-ups, Monday’s high-stakes encounter between Shorecrest and Shorewood at Shoreview Park was called off.
The district rivals are scheduled to make up the match April 16.
Shorewood kept its perfect record intact by downing Everett 4-3 on Tuesday. With the bulk of its lineup away on spring break vacations, Shorecrest fell to Jackson 4-3.
The results left the Thunderbirds alone in first at 7-0, ahead of Jackson (6-1) and Shorecrest (5-1).
“Because we started out with the really tough teams … we’re in the driver’s seat and I think teams know that,” Shorewood coach Arnie Moreno said. “I told the girls, ‘They’re shooting for us.’ We know that and the girls are ready. They’ve got a great attitude about it.”
Freshman Samantha Lim has lost just twice at No. 1 singles and Moreno also praised the rest of Shorewood’s singles ladder — seniors Kelle Jones and Meghan Haggerty and King’s sophomore Anastasia Shatilo.
“Right now the team is playing well,” Moreno said. “Things have come together for us.”
The T-birds have also profited from consistent doubles play. Sophomore Kali Chamberlin and freshman Jordan Reni are unbeaten at No. 2 doubles.
“The matchups are good for us in doubles,” Moreno said. “We’ve got a lot of freshman/ senior combinations.”
One such tandem — freshman Danhua Ma and senior Erin Warness — has established themselves at No. 1 doubles.
“They’re a good combination and they’re going to get better,” Moreno said. “They’re still learning to play together.
Seven of Shorecrest’s top 10 players were absent from Monday’s match with Shorewood and Tuesday’s match with Jackson.
Since the match against the T-birds was officially underway when it was stopped, Shorecrest coach Barry Majorowicz can’t alter his lineup when the teams complete it next week.
“It will be real interesting to see how we do with a limited roster,” Majorowicz said.
Four Scots remain undefeated. Ashley Opdyke and Amy Roubound are unbeaten at No. 2 and No. 4 singles and Joyce Yoon and Gina Auriemma have yet to lose at No. 2 doubles.
“If they can keep this going, it will be fun to watch and see what happens in the postseason,” said Majorowicz, who noted that the last time Shorecrest was in the hunt for a league title was six or seven years ago.
“I’m lucky to have a bunch of seniors who have been playing for a few years and learning,” he said. “It’s just come together this year.”
Moreno is looking forward to Shorewood’s upcoming clash with the Scots.
“Shorecrest is definitely on our heels and they’ve got a strong team,” he said. “It’s going to come down to the wire.”
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