MUNSTER | Maybe Title Town isn’t in Wisconsin after all.
Times No. 1 Munster extended its sectional title record Friday when the Mustangs defeated Griffith 5-0. It was the girls’ 36th consecutive sectional championship, the most in IHSAA records.
“It’s really amazing, when you think of it,” Munster coach Bill Heuer said. “We are talking almost four full decades. Think of all the athletes and the families that passed through here.”
The IHSAA listed Munster’s 35 straight titles last year on their website. The Mustangs gave them reason to modify it when they beat the Panthers 6-0, 6-0 across the board.
“We were very cognizant of the record,” Nikki Heiniger said after her win at No. 2 singles. “We were determined to keep that string going. No one wants to be on the team that loses it.”
Heiniger, a freshman, admitted to butterflies earlier in the week.
“My first postseason, yeah, I was a little nervous,” she said. “But I got a lot of confidence from my win over Highland, and that helped me a lot today.”
No. 3 singles player Christiann Tavitas said that the big motivation this week came from the record book.
“Every players wants to be part of the legacy,” Tavitas said. “Once the postseason starts, it’s always on our mind.”
Griffith (4-13) had won three in a row before Friday’s loss, including sectional wins over Calumet and Gavit.
“Everyone doubted us, but we came up big this week,” Griffith's Alisondra Acevedo said. “We can use the success we had this week as a building block for next year.”
Her doubles partner, Amber Atkins, agreed.
“It felt really great to finish the year on a good note by winning three of four,” Atkins said. “We kept improving all through the year, and played our best this last week.”
Munster will advance to the Highland Regional next week, where they will try to win their 27th regional title.
“We haven’t won regional since 2009,” Heuer said. “We want to get back on that streak, too. This is a deep and talented team, and we can do some damage before we’re done.”
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