Brown, Girtman win top region awards
Jeff Davis High tennis coach Mary Katherine Brown and junior girls singles player Lexi Girtman received top honors as Region 1-AA tennis coaches voted to recognize them for their performances in the 2023 tennis season.
In fact, Coach Brown was honored twice. She was named Co-Coach of the Year in both boys tennis and girls tennis as she led both Jeff Davis boys and girls tennis teams to the playoffs.
The Lady Jackets were both Region Champions and State Champions in the 2023 season. And the boys team was Region Runner-ups and advanced to the Elite 8 in the state tournament, further than any team in the region.
In earning the Girls Singles Player of the Year, Girtman went through the region competition undefeated in both the regular season and the region tournament to post an 8-0 record against region opponents.
She went 15-3 in regular season the regular season, only losing to Valdosta, Colquitt, and Pierce.
She went undefeated in the playoffs except against Mt. Paran.
She would’ve had an overall record of 20-4 (some of the matches were not finished out in the playoffs though).
Following a successful season for the boys teams in Region 1-AA, which saw three of the four boys’ teams advance to the second round, the coaches of the region voted to honor Brown and Cook’s John Smith as the Region 1-AA boys co-coaches of the year.
Cook’s Caleb Pezent finished the region slate 6-1 at the #1 singles line and was awarded the Region Player of the Year for the boys, finishing his junior season with the top honor. Cook’s Vraj Patel and Drew Martin finished the season 7-0 in region play and were honored as the Doubles Players of the Year. The girls teams were also successful with all four teams advancing to the second round with region champion Jeff Davis and region runner-up Berrien advancing to this year’s State AA Championship match.
The region coaches voted Berrien’s Jarrett Luke and Jeff Davis’s Brown as Co-Coaches of the Year.
In doubles, Berrien again took the top doubles award on the girls’ side with Joci Holbrook and Lexi Knight capping off a 7-1 season to win the girls Doubles Team of the Year.
