Brookstone girls tennis takes home 12th state championship

Once Brookstone’s Abigail Pitts and Anya Polomis walked off the courts at Clayton County International Park Saturday, it was time to celebrate for the Lady Cougars.

Brookstone’s win in the No. 2 doubles match featuring Pitts and Polomis clinched the Lady Cougars’ match victory over Wesleyan in the GHSA Class A-Private state championship match. The Lady Cougars’ 3-0 win gave the program its 12th state title under head coach Mary Lynne Cumiskey.

“We expected to be tested in the early rounds, and every match they were tested,” Cumiskey said. “Wesleyan’s a good team. Every match was tightly contested. It was a rare chance for all the courts to get on at once. We had a vision of how everything was going to turn out early on.”

Sammi Rice grabbed the first win for the Lady Cougars. Facing Wesleyan’s Elizabeth Bruehl, Rice started the match on the right note, taking the first set 6-1. The sophomore Rice kept it going in the second set, blanking her opponent 6-0 to leave Brookstone two wins away.

The team’s No. 1 doubles duo of Lillie Patton and Lillie Norred took care of their competition in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4 win.

Pitts and Polomis came through in straight sets as well, 6-1, 6-3 victory.

It’s Brookstone’s second consecutive championship and eighth in the past 16 seasons.

“It’s great, and it’s great for the talent, too,” Cumiskey said. “Columbus has some pretty awesome tennis, and they show it every single year. We’re pleased to represent the talent.”

The bad news for Brookstone’s opponents in 2018: there is little chance of a dropoff. Pitts and Abbie Dillon, Brookstone’s No. 3 singles player, are the only outgoing seniors on the 11-girl team.

It’s safe to say the Lady Cougars will be in prime position to make it three in a row.

“The team’s only going to get stronger next year,” Cumiskey said.

Match Results

This story was originally published May 6, 2017 at 1:05 PM with the headline "Brookstone girls tennis takes home 12th state championship."