SHELBY — After an outstanding performance by its doubles teams last Thursday, the Galion High School singles tennis players completed the mission on Saturday by capturing the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference team championship.
Galion’s Chris Amick claimed the No. 2 singles championship, besting Pleasant’s Eian Zachmann in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, in the finals. After earning a first-round bye, Amick topped Clear Fork’s Ryan Peterson 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal round.
At No. 1 singles, Galion’s Matt Gimbel finished as the conference runnerup. He swept Brady Wink of Marion Harding, 6-1, 6-0, in the first round of play.
In the semifinal round, Gimbel met River Valley’s Josh Mulvaine, a player he’d lost to twice previously this season. Gimbel defeated Mulvaine in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, to earn a slot in the finals opposite Pleasant’s Dane Williams, who defeated Brody Worder of Clear Fork, 6-0, 6-2, in the semifinals.
In the championship match, Williams prevailed against Gimbel, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Williams overcame a 5-2 deficit to claim the No. 1 singles crown.
Galion’s Adam Geiger finished fourth in the No. 3 singles tournament.
Combined with the fine showing by its doubles teams on Thursday at the Lakewood Racquet Club in Lexington, the Tigers’ singles players allowed the team to pull ahead of Ontario to win the team championship. Galion and Ontario were tied with 12 points each following the doubles round.
The Tigers finished with 27 points, which is the second-highest tally recorded by a team in MOAC tennis tournament history. Marion Harding recorded 33 points to win the 2019 edition of the tournament.
Ontario finished as the runnerup with 19 points. Pleasant and Clear Fork tied for third with 16 points apiece. Shelby placed fifth with 14 points and River Valley finished sixth with 12 points. Marion Harding placed seventh with six points.
Doubles tournament recap
The Tigers tandem of Zach Grimes and Jamie Hollis captured the first doubles championship on Thursday, defeating Evan Booker and Cameron Keller of Ontario in the finals. Grimes and Hollis posted a straight sets win, 6-1, 6-0, to win the title.
They dispatched Marion Harding’s Zane Menzie and Evan Bonsel in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-1. Grimes and Hollis did not lose a set on the way to capturing the doubles title.
Grimes and Hollis improved their record to 12-2 this season with the pair of wins on Thursday.
Galion’s Nate Barre and John Evans finished as the runnerup team in the second doubles tournament. They lost to Greg Tan and Dylan Damron of Ontario in the finals.
Barre and Evans opened play with a straight sets win over Clear Fork’s Joshiah Bailey and Piersen Schilling, 6-1, 6-4. Barre and Evans reached the final by defeating Shelby’s Jake Williams and Joe Williams, 7-5, 6-0, in the semifinal round.
Following tounament play this weekend, Galion has four more matches remaining before beginning OHSAA tournament action. The Tigers play at Shelby on Tuesday then return home to face Upper Sandusky on Wednesday. Galion travels to Ontario on Thursday and has a home match against Mansfield Senior on Friday.
