Beier Wins Singles Title, Several Hawks Reach Finals

By Andy Hutchison

Newtown High School tennis team member, Rob Beier, the top singles player, earned the championship in the No. 1 singles draw of the South-West Conference’s individual tournament at Wolfe Park in Monroe on May 27.

Beier came from behind to beat Pomperaug of Southbury’s Andrew Oravecz 3-6, 6-0, 6-0. “What a turnaround. What a player. What a kid,” Newtown Coach Marty Margulies said of Beier’s comeback effort.

Beier had also beaten Oravecz in the regular season and in the SWC team tourney. Margulies notes that he is the only conference player to have beaten Oravecz all season, and he did it three times on his way to an unbeaten conference record. The coach said Beier was the team’s first champion in a decade. The last two were Zack Miller and Jon Perachio during his first two years coaching Newtown.

Newtown’s other two championship round entries — Ricky Fuentes at fourth singles, and the team of Connor Howell and Sean Elliott at first doubles — lost closely-contested finals matches in their brackets. “Still, a good showing and a good day for Newtown tennis,” Margulies said.

No. 2 singles player Tyler Ruefenacht got to the semifinals and the No. 2 doubles team of Adam Oelberg and Yossi Kohrman-Glaser reached the semifinals.

In the girls’ tourney, held at Joel Barlow High in Redding, Newtown had four finalists. The top doubles team of Julia Frattaroli and Meghan Loose, along with the No. 2 tandem of Sara Benson and Stephanie Roman, and No. 3 team of Annie Beier and Maggie Kost, all reached the finals. No. 4 singles player Mia Terracino also got to the championship match.

The Newtown girls participated in the Class L State Tournament on May 31. Newtown earned the No. 11 seed and faced No. 22 Conard in the qualifying round, and pulled out a 5-2 win for the right to face a rested No. 6 Staples of Westport squad that same afternoon. No. 6 Staples prevailed 5-2. The boys’ state tourney was slated to begin on Thursday (after The Bee went to press).