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Fernando enjoying senior season as Spartans earn wins over Bears

By Robert Collias 6 min read

WAILUKU -- Nikki Fernando is taking it all in as her tennis career winds down in the Maui Interscholastic League.

Fernando, a Seabury Hall senior who has signed to play for the University of Rhode Island, rolled to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Baldwin's Sophia Nantin on Wednesday at the Wells Park courts that was part of the Spartans' 5-0 team win.

Fernando was a state quarterfinalist in 2019 as a freshman during her first and only other MIL season due to COVID-19 cancellations of the last two seasons.

"I think it's so refreshing and so fun seeing new faces and I think my favorite part of this team and being a leader this time, I feel like I'm the team mom sometimes, but it's so fun," Fernando said. "No matter the level I play, I'm playing some nice people like my match today, like, my opponent was the sweetest. It's just fun being back on the team.

"Tennis is such an individual sport, sometimes it's hard to feel like you've got people supporting your back. It's good to know all these people are the best people to be around."

Fernando was clearly enjoying the moments at the Wells Park complex as the team matches went on all around her after she ended her match quickly.

"I was so sentimental because this Friday is our last home match and I didn't realize before that and just this month of April is so busy and I have so many exams coming up, so many events," she said. "Yeah, I'm just absorbing every match and I'm almost like the last person here."

Fernando, who plans to follow a pre-medicine academic path in college, will try to contend for a state title at home next month. The HMSA/HHSAA state championships are set for May 5-7 at the Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch and the Kapalua Tennis Garden.

"Honestly it hasn't been on my mind too much," Fernando said. "Just realizing that states is home now just makes it mean so much more to me. I'm just hoping I have a lot of my friends there to support me -- I think that makes it mean a lot."

The Spartan girls improved to 4-1 in the MIL East Division to stay in solid position for a spot in the MIL team championships final four tournament. Baldwin fell to 2-4.

The Seabury Hall boys pulled out a 3-2 team win to improve to 5-0, tops in the East, while second-place Baldwin fell to 4-2 with its second one-point loss to the Spartans.

While Fernando is a veteran of the sport in the MIL, Justin Powell is a freshman at No. 1 singles for the Bears. He beat Manoli Placourakis 6-1, 6-0.

"I want to play every match the best I can, every point counts in these kind of things, so I play to my 100 percent," Powell said. "I'm having extreme fun."

Powell, 14, has been playing tennis since he was 6 years old. He hasn't played Placourakis in the last four years or so.

"It was kind of an intense match for both of us," Powell said. "There's a lot of pressure considering I have high hopes from my coaches."

Seabury Hall coach Jan Waechli said his teams are rounding into shape as the team season rolls toward championship week April 21-23, when the top two teams from each division will play in a bracket tournament format.

"Semifinals should not be even an issue, semifinals we should reach with both teams anyway," Waechli said. "That's pretty much a gimme, but being first in the division, that's better."

Baldwin coach Wayne Feike, a social studies teacher at the school, said that he is happy to see the student-athletes playing a spring sport, from Fernando and Powell's level to beginners.

"I mean, we almost didn't have a team, that's why I was going to retire from coaching already," Feike said. "But, you know, there were kids that approached me -- I'm on staff at Baldwin -- and they really were looking for somebody. (Athletic director) Wade Hondo couldn't find anybody, so just to have them out, I helped out.

"Just to have them out after being cooped up all that time from COVID, it's just a joy and they're a great group on top of that. I'm really happy for them."

Feike took over the head-coaching reins from his wife Cynthia -- he was the head boys basketball coach at King Kekaulike from 1995 to 2002 and has been an assistant basketball coach for the Bears over the years.

"Just helping my wife," Feike said when asked if he has ever coached tennis before. "I am a basketball coach. ... I go back to, it's a great bunch of kids and it makes it easy for me. I think they're grateful to have the opportunity to play."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

SEABURY HALL GIRLS 5, BALDWIN 0

No. 1 singles--Nikki Fernando, Seabury Hall, def. Sophia Nantin, 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 singles--Bobby Goldyn, Seabury Hall, def. Jazmine Abarratigue, 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 singles--Thy Mevis Teuber, Seabury Hall, def. Rizamay Basig, 6-1, 6-1; No. 1 doubles--Julia Chou/Alexa de Crinis, Seabury Hall, def. Maile Kennedy/Aurea Wittenberg, 6-0, 6-1; No. 2 doubles--Ruby Kofron/Zella Kofron, Seabury Hall, def. Taylor Taguchi/Railee Maeda, 6-3, 6-0.

SEABURY HALL BOYS 3, BALDWIN 2

No. 1 singles--Justin Powell, Baldwin, def. Manoli Placourakis, 6-1, 6-0; No. 2 singles--Brandon Yu, Seabury Hall, def. Skye Curley, 6-0, 6-0; No. 3 singles--Lucas Utsch, Seabury Hall, def. Fernando Rosete, 6-2, 6-0; No. 1 doubles--Ean Allencastre-Higuchi/Kai Matsui, Baldwin, def. Evan Lipetz/Liam Mabut, 6-2, 6-1; No. 2 doubles--Max Huston/Austin Lugo, Seabury Hall, def. Kenji Shing/Caleb Ashrafi, 6-2, 6-2.

KING KEKAULIKE GIRLS 5, KIHEI CHARTER 0

No. 1 singles--Yoana Gkatsu, King Kekaulike, def. Tanya Kari 6-0, 6-1. No. 2 singles--Paula Esteve Rodriguez, King Kekaulike, def. Daisy Queirelo 6-0, 6-2. No. 3 singles--Genevieve Kermode, King Kekaulike, def. Sylvia Lipp 6-4, 7-6 (4) No. 1 doubles--Eden Newman/Aurora Morales-Middleton, King Kekaulike, def. Sundi King/Grace James 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. No. 2 doubles--Radha Singh/Ryley Jackson, King Kekaulike, def. Carmen Stettler/Kaitlin Loughran 7-6 (1), 6-4.

KING KEKAULIKE BOYS 3, KIHEI CHARTER 2

No. 1 singles--Luca Stettler, Kihei Charter, def. Richard Barcus 6-1, 7-6 (6). No. 2 singles--Dustin Metzler, King Kekaulike, def. Enzo Queirelo 6-4, 7-6 (1). No. 3 singles--Camden Eyre, King Kekaulike, win by default. No. 1 doubles--Indi Petrone/Alex Ferayorni, Kihei Charter, def. Zachary Fisher/Rayden Siarot 6-0, 6-0. No. 2 doubles--Jayden Chester/Josiah Medeiros, King Kekaulike, def. Maddox Dellefave/Kaden Holland 6-0, 6-0.

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