Nearly every year for the past 40 years, Lynnfield girls tennis coach Craig Stone has hosted an end-of-year celebration to honor all the hard work his teams have put in each and every season. That hard work has led to an extraordinary streak of 38 straight seasons with a berth in the state tournament, with the 2021 season being the most recent.
So after missing a year due to the pandemic, the Pioneers gathered for their annual banquet to celebrate their season.
But this season was obviously a very different one for all teams, and the Pioneers were no different. After not playing tennis during the pandemic-canceled 2020 season, Lynnfield came into 2021 with only three players that had varsity experience. Eventually, the Pioneers would have five starters who played their first varsity match during the 2021 season.
Lynnfield went 9-4 on the year and earned a No. 5 seed in the Division 3 North tournament, where the Pioneers eventually fell to No. 4 Swampscott by a 3-2 margin in the quarterfinal round.
“Obviously, there was great concern over the kind of season we might have, but there was also great enthusiasm and energy as to how we would fill gaps, who would step up and what new players would make an impact.”
It turns out that there wouldn’t be too much trouble filling the gaps or getting new talent. In fact, Stone referred to his group of first-time starters — Lauren Grava, Genna Gioioso, Ava Buonfiglio, Emily Goguen and Gabi Mellor — as “The Fab Five.”
And that’s only the first-time varsity players, as returning players Anna Radulski, Emma Gallucci and Megan Nevils contributed to the team in a number of ways on and off the court.
Gallucci wrapped up her career on the highest of notes, going 7-6 in doubles play. A Cape Ann League All-Star in her first two seasons on the team, Gallucci finished her Pioneers career with a 44-11 record — good enough to place her in the top 50 all-time in school history.
Radulski was simply unbeatable in 2021, going 13-0 on the year (12-0 doubles, 1-0 singles). A junior, Radulski was named a CAL All-Star for her efforts this season.
Two other varsity players also had solid seasons, as Sarah Breslow went 9-5 and Maddy McCarthy went 8-5.
During the celebration, the Pioneers also honored three sub-varsity players — Leticia Marafon, Alana Villair and Sarah Lombardi — for their continued dedication to improving on the court.
But with every end-of-season celebration comes a look ahead to next year, and Stone is no different.
“I’m looking forward to the 2022 season and the challenges it will bring, as well as the impact that our returning players will have,” said Stone. “As I like to say, the first practice of the 2022 season starts the day after the season, and all the time they put into their games over the summer improves them as a player and makes us better as a team.”