Miller three-peats as ECIC tennis singles champ

Williamsville North's Tina Miller won her third ECIC singles title.

For the third straight year, Tina Miller captured the ECIC girls tennis singles championship. Two years ago, the Williamsville North freshman was the youngest in ECIC history to win the title, defeating Williamsville South senior Rachel Stemmerman. Last year, Miller won the championship after defeating Lancaster junior Jenn Ickowski.

This year's tournament, due to the October snowstorm was rescheduled for Oct. 29, one day before the sectional tournament in Jamestown. Due to time constraints, the entire tournament (four rounds) was held in one day. The top-seeded Miller, after receiving a bye in the first round, defeated John F. Kennedy's Courtney Smith 4-0, 4-0. In the semifinals, she defeated Williamsville East junior Monica Veith 7-5, 7-6. In the championship match, Miller beat East freshman Miranda Podlas 7-5, 6-4.

In the sectional tournament, Miller reached the championship, falling to Kenmore West senior Lauren Bates. Miller defeated Diana Samuelson (Maple Grove) 6-0, 6-0; Sheila Joshi (Williamsville East) 6-0, 6-2 and Vieth 6-1, 6-2.

At the state meet, Miller lost in the first round to Ruxandra Dumitrescu of Hendrick Hudson, 2-6, 4-6, and in the consolation bracket, beat Westhill's Allison Haynes, 8-5 then fell to Faith Broderick of Washingtonville, 5-8.

This past summer, Miller was the youngest female (age 14) ever to capture the Women's City Open Singles title. She trains year round at the Amherst Hills Tennis Club.