MVP’S HOLD COURT, WIN ALL-ISLAND GOLD

By Shania Bulala

The ISA Tennis All-Island Championships officially commenced on Thursday afternoon at the Guam National Tennis Center, where champions were crowned in both the girls and boys singles divisions.

Girls Singles Final

In the most thrilling matchup of the day, league MVP GW Gecko senior Caily Poblete captured the girls singles title with a dramatic victory over JFK sophomore Rachel San Agustin.

The win marks a historic moment for the Geckos, as Poblete becomes the first GW athlete in nearly two decades to claim the girls singles crown, the last title coming in 2007.

San Agustin came out strong, jumping to an early 3-0 lead while Poblete took time to settle into rhythm. Once she found her footing, Poblete responded by winning five straight games to surge ahead 5-3.

From there, the match turned into a back-and-forth battle, with both players trading leads until the score reached 7-7, forcing a first-to-seven tiebreaker. With fans cheering from both sides of the court and the intensity at its peak, Poblete elevated her game when it mattered most. She closed out the tiebreaker 7-2 to secure the championship and was crowned the All-Island champ.

All-Island Champion & League MVP

Poblete closes her senior season not only as the All-Island singles champion but also as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

“My strategy in every match is to always have a positive mindset,” Poblete said. “Having a negative mindset can cause errors. When that happens to me, I just try and shake it off and get the next one.”
This victory carried special meaning for Poblete.

“I have never won first place in anything. This moment is so special for me,” she emotionally shared. “Being the league MVP also put a lot of pressure on me; it actually made me even more nervous. But I’m thankful for my teammates, coaches, and especially my family for supporting me throughout this journey. I wouldn’t have done it without them.”

Like many athletes, Poblete admitted the nerves were very real before stepping on court.

“Coming into this match I was so nervous. I always get a stomachache before I play because I’m so nervous. But once I’m in the game and in the zone, all the nerves go away. Once I took the lead in the tie-breaker, I just tried to remind myself to stay positive and try my best to hold the lead until the end.”

Boys Singles Finals

In the boys singles final, GAA Angel Jeren DeVera captured the All-Island title with a commanding 8-1 victory over Sanchez Shark Mark Manzo.

DeVera controlled the tempo of the game from the opening serve with a show of consistency and composure to cruise his way to the title.

DeVera competed this season, affiliating with Guam Adventist Academy due to his school, Guam High, not having a tennis team.

“I chose to affiliate with GAA because it seemed like the right fit for me, and it worked out,” said DeVera, who expressed gratitude to the GAA coaches and athletic director for welcoming him this season.
“Being the All-Island champ feels great. Coming into this, I tried to focus on what I’ve been practicing, which is to hit smoothly. I felt pretty confident about the match and knew that I had one more match to be the champ.”

DeVera noted that his semifinal match proved to be one of his toughest matches of the season.
“The match prior to this All-Island final was actually a lot tougher for me because the rallies were a lot longer, but it really mentally prepared me for this match today as it kept me focused.”

Just a sophomore, he is already looking ahead to next season with hopes of defending his title. He is also a member of Guam’s national tennis team and plans to continue training and competing at a high level as his tennis career progresses.

PHOTO GALLERY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: