Captains leading Newton girls’ tennis team

At this very important juncture of the season, the Newton High School girls tennis program is playing quite well on the court.

Many contributing factors are prevalent as the Braves have captured several noteworthy victories over competitive opponents such Park Ridge (first round) and Wallkill Valley (quarterfinal round) in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1 Group 1 Tournament.

A big advantage in favor of the Braves all season has been the leadership of the senior captains Ailish Black and Skyla Squires.

“Ailish and Skyla were chosen to be captains for this season for a multitude of reasons,’’ Newton head coach Chris Boyle said. “That being said they are outstanding leaders, all of the players, underclassmen as well as other seniors look up to them as role models, and they lead by example on and off the court.

“They also bring an enthusiasm to the court every day, whether it be the dog days of summer, a preseason practice or match day and this enthusiasm is infectious to the whole team.’’

Black and Squires have grown as both tennis players and as leaders on the roster.

“Since the moment both Skyla and Ailish were designated as captains I have seen them flourish in their leadership role organizing summer practices, overseeing fundraisers, communicating with the team as a whole and most recently they have led by example on the courts,’’ Boyle said. “We have had very tight matches and through these matches I have seen both of them exemplify the never give up attitude and the do whatever it takes to win attitude which has become a standard for our entire team.”

“Both Ailish and Skyla help those around them by leading by example. On the court, their intensity during practices in each drill sets the tone daily for every other player. Their approach to each match on game day again sets a tone that filters out to every one of our team members.’’

Each captain is strong academically, which is very important to mention.

“Both girls are standout academic leaders in their class and look to continue their education at a four year university.’’

Newton currently has an overall record of 9-7 with a mark of 4-2 in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Colonial Division.

“In addition to Ailish and Skyla we have had tremendous contributions from Catherine Vena (junior) at first singles, Christine Ahmad (senior) second singles, Samantha Sutton (sophomore) first doubles, Linnea Decker (sophomore) first doubles and Taylor Strasser (senior) second doubles.

“The girls have continued to grow and improve each day throughout the season and it has been a pleasure to work with each and every one of them.’’

NOTES: Newton was defeated by Kinnelon in the semifinal round of the Sectional Tournament.