Top-seeded Pingry junior Madison Stevens won the Somerset County Tournament first singles title in late September by defeating third-seeded Krishna Patel from Gill St. Bernard’s 6-3, 7-5 in a match played at the Green Knoll Tennis Center in Bridgewater.

Madison has played first singles for Pingry since her freshman year, and this was both her first trip to the finals and her first Somerset County Tournament singles crown. It also continues the Chester resident's impressive September stretch of being a perfect 11-0 in singles play this season. In recognition of her Somerset County Tournament first singles title, Madison Stevens has been named a “High School Top Performer” by NJ.com. Read more about Madison here.

Lou Castelli, Head Coach of the Pingry Girls’ Varsity Tennis team, remarked that “Madison showed real poise and toughness out on the court in capturing her first county title—she is off to a tremendous start with an 11-0 record going into state tournament play.”

The Somerset County Tournament team competition featured a battle between Pingry (No. 5 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 rankings) and Bridgewater-Raritan (No. 8), but Pingry finished second to the defending county champions by a final team score of 20-22.

Pingry and Bridgewater both advanced to the finals in four of the five championship matches, but it was only at first singles where Pingry emerged victorious. In an epic second singles match lasting over three hours, Christina Zajkowski ’14 lost to Bridgewater (7-5, 3-6, 5-7), and Naomi Wong ’13 also came up against a tough Bridgewater opponent at third singles (4-6, 3-6). At first doubles, Pingry seniors Stephanie Carr and Michaela Scrudato battled for three sets before falling to their Bridgewater opponents (6-7, 6-2, 4-6). Pingry’s second doubles team of Jacqueline Jakimowicz ’16 and Kelly Mao ’13 fought through to the SCT semifinals before losing to the eventual county championship tandem from Montgomery (3-6, 4-6).

Congratulations to Madison Stevens '14 and the rest of the Pingry Girls' Tennis Team!