County players recognized for solid efforts

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 5, 2008 1:47 PM

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Wayne County players dominate the season-ending all-conference teams on the Eastern Carolina 3-A and Carolina 1-A women's tennis scenes for 2008.

Eastern Wayne junior Danielle Daniel earned ECC player-of-the-year honors. A three-year varsity starter, Daniel claimed the No. 1 seed this season after starting out at No. 6 as a freshman.

Joining her are seniors Lindsey Frederick, Mollie Musgrave and Elizabeth Borden. Frederick-Musgrave claimed back-to-back ECC doubles championships.

The quartet helped lead the Warriors to their second straight appearance in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A eastern dual-team finals. Eastern Wayne was the dual-team state runner-up to Charlotte Catholic in 2007.

The Warriors finished 16-2 overall this season with head coach Nancy Dawson, who was named the ECC coach of the year. Dawson coached her final match last Thursday when Eastern Wayne lost to Wilson Fike in the dual-team regional title match.

Dawson's final three teams compiled a 46-7 record overall, including a 28-2 slate in ECC play and 9-3 mark in the dual-team playoffs. Eastern Wayne carries a 22-match win streak into ECC play next fall.

Charles B. Aycock is represented by Ashley Howell, Kristen Fischer, Hollie Baker and Abbey Strickland. The foursome guided the Golden Falcons to a runner-up showing in ECC regular-season play and the program's 18th appearance in the NCHSAA dual-team playoffs.

Tara Hirsch, a senior at Southern Wayne, picked up her second ECC singles championship this season. Joining Hirsch on the all-conference team were April Tucker and Amber Bowden.

The Saints ended up 8-7, including a program-best 5-5 against ECC opposition and earned a wild-card berth in the NCHSAA dual-team playoffs. It was the program's first-ever playoff appearance.

In the 1-A ranks, Spring Creek repeated as the Carolina Conference regular-season champion and earned its fifth title overall in the program's eight-year history.

The Gators had five all-conference selections -- Jamie Johnson, Ivey Best, Rachel Lewis, German exchange student Jana Kutsch and Lauren Player. The quintet helped Spring Creek compile a 12-2 record and advance to the elite eight in the NCHSAA dual-team playoffs.

Johnson won the Carolina singles crown.

Katie Hoff was Rosewood's lone all-conference pick.