UNBEATABLE – Terriers capture 10th straight crown

There are certain givens in life. You work. You pay taxes. You eventually die. The St. Francis Prep girls tennis team doesn’t lose.
Never.
At least not since John Brennan took over the program eight years ago.
After blanking St. John the Baptist and Molloy, 5-0 in each match, at the Alley Pond Tennis Center Tuesday afternoon to garner their 10th consecutive Catholic State crown, they have prevailed 141 consecutive times.
“I’m extremely proud of the accomplishment,” Brennan said.
Considering the competition, the title doesn’t mean as much as the Mayor’s Cup - the spring competition pitting the best Catholic, public and private schools against one another - of which the Terriers have won eight in a row. There was no celebrating after the final point. Just a few faint matter-of-fact smiles.
The only question was whether Brennan’s players could fool him. His first doubles team of Christine Eng and Pauline Syrnik told him they lost, as others have done on occasion to gauge his reaction. He fell for it before, but Brennan had seen enough of their match to know that was not possible.
“They’ve done that a few times,” he said. “I’m a little taken back [at first], but then they start laughing and I know they’re always kidding.”
There is not a secret recipe to their success. Six of their starters are tournament tested, year-round players. Their nationally ranked No. 1 singles player, senior Shinann Featherston, has yet to drop a high school match, and recently gave a verbal commitment to play for the University of North Carolina.
When the Terriers are not engaged in tournament play or crushing league opponents - their closest match this year was 6-1, which happened on three occasions - they are taking part in intense practice sessions.
“He really drills us,” said senior Michelle D’Alleva, who won in second doubles. “Just playing against the girls on our team is hard enough. That is the greatest practice we have. Not our matches, but actually practicing against each other. I’ve gotten so much better since freshman year.”
A tennis pro, Brennan is a master recruiter. Or, at least he used to be.
Now, players come to him. Thirty talented eighth graders signed up at a recent Open House to attend the Fresh Meadows School. So even though Featherston is leaving, the beat goes on. Of the seven girls who saw action Tuesday, only Featherston and D’Alleva will graduate this spring. Three starters are either freshmen or sophomores.
“They will put it together,” Featherston said when asked if the streak will continue in her absence. “They will all work really hard. Mr. Brennan won’t let that happen. The [team] won’t let that happen.”