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[Sonny Dearth]

Godwin Eagles soar to top in state girls tennis

STAFF REPORTS

NEWPORT NEWS -- In the regular season, the Mills Godwin High girls tennis team was second in its end of Henrico County. But in the postseason, the Eagles returned to a familiar perch -- the state Group AAA championship.


The Eagles shut out W.T. Woodson of Fairfax 5-0 Saturday morning at Huntington Park to win their sixth title. It was Godwin's sixth consecutive appearance in the final, and the triumph over the Cavaliers ended a two-year run of losing to Cox in the championship match.


Woodson eliminated Cox 5-3 in Friday's semifinals.


Godwin turned around its season after losing to Colonial District rival Deep Run, a fellow school in Richmond's West End. The Eagles beat Deep Run 5-1 for the Central Region championship, then won their state tournament matches by a combined 15-2.


Central champ Katie Blow, Melissa Barkan, Annie Larsen, Nicole Parker and Cathleen Crouch scored straight-sets victories for Godwin.


Woodson, which has excellent depth but no individual state qualifiers, was making its second appearance in the final. E.C. Glass beat the Cavaliers 5-4 in the 1984 championship match.


MILLS GODWIN 5, W.T. WOODSON 0
SINGLES -- Blow d. Hummel 6-2, 6-0; Barkan d. Kadotani 6-4, 6-3; Larsen d. Post 6-3, 6-2; Parker d. Duong 7-5, 6-1; Kristofak (MG) vs. Mihalache, did not finish; Crouch d. MacGowan 6-1, 6-3.