Youth won out at Saturday’s Oahu Interscholastic Association Tennis Championships, with Pearl City freshman Sarah Domingo capturing girls singles and Farrington sophomore Andre Ilagan successfully defending his boys title.
Ilagan was a beast, taking out Kalani senior Darrell Huang 6-1, 6-3 in 2 hours and 14 minutes — including a rain delay of more than 80 minutes at the Patsy T. Mink CORP Tennis Complex.
Huang played at a high level, but ultimately had no answer for Ilagan’s explosive quickness and even more explosive groundstrokes.
It wasn’t for lack of knowledge. The two have played three times this year. Ilagan won all three, but the scores were 6-3, 7-6 last week.
And Huang’s analytical abilities are not in question. He is Kalani’s valedictorian and this week decided he will attend Northwestern to pursue a dual degree in communications and engineering.
Ilagan, who lost only six games in his first three tournament matches, was simply too good. He has matched the two OIA championships won by his brother Anthony, in 2001 and 2002.
Andre — named after Agassi — trains four hours every day with father Sergio. His goal now is to win a state title. Last month, Ilagan beat ILH champion Phuc Huynh of ‘Iolani.
“I’ve just got to pray to God,” Ilagan said, “and follow my heart again.”
Jared Spiker won the 2009 and 2010 state titles and is the only OIA boy to win it since 1983. The OIA girls have been more successful, with Mililani’s Erin Hoe and Alyssa Tobita combining to win seven state championships in the past 20 years.
Domingo has four years to join them after a 6-4, 6-3 win over Kaiser senior Lisa Owen on Saturday. Domingo was too consistent and persistent for the 2015 OIA girls champ in a final that featured long rallies, with Owen trying to blast winners and Domingo feeding her nothing but topspin in return.
When it was over, Owen, who had to win a tiebreaker to get to the final, grinned and conceded, “That was exhausting.”
She was ahead 3-2 in the final set after becoming the first to hold serve. Domingo won the last four games.
“Even when I’m down I still believe I have a chance and I just keep trying …,” said Domingo, not quite 5-foot-1 and all of 96 pounds. “I had to make sure I got to every ball because she hits hard. I had to chase a lot.”
Mililani finished with the top three girls doubles teams.
Hayley Fujimori and Alysse Nakasato beat teammates Erin Jyo and Taryn Fujimori — Hayley’s cousin — by a 6-2, 6-4 score in the final. Fujimori and Nakasato also won the girls title last year. Trojans Allena Wong and Tayler dela Cruz — seeded fourth in the West — took third.
In the day’s longest and loudest match, Mililani’s Jace Akagi-Okuna and Davin Lee outlasted Kalani brothers Rayden and Koby Murata 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a repeat of 2015’s final.
The OIA has won just one girls state doubles title since 1981 and its last boys doubles title came in 1992.
The top 11 OIA finishers qualified for the Carlsmith Ball State Championships, May 5-7 at Mauna Lani. Punahou has won the last 25 boys titles and last 13 girls championships.
