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Shady Side Academy sophomore Meriwether M. has once again proven herself a force in WPIAL girls’ tennis, successfully defending her Class 3A title at the 2024 WPIAL Girls’ Tennis Singles Championships. The tournament, held at Bethel Park High School on September 19 and 20, saw Meriwether emerge victorious after an intense, marathon final against Penn-Trafford junior Amelia W.

In a match that spanned over two and a half hours and featured 32 games—the longest singles championship match by games in WPIAL girls’ tennis history—Meriwether secured the win with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) victory. Her triumph makes her just the second Shady Side Academy player to win consecutive WPIAL titles, following in the footsteps of Ananya D., who accomplished the feat in 2014 and 2015.

Meriwether's journey to the championship was nothing short of dominant. She began the tournament with a 10-1 win over Moon's Kiera W. and followed that with a 10-4 victory against Bethel Park's Mackenzie S. In the semifinals, she faced her own teammate, ninth-grade student Brooke H., winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, to secure her spot in the finals.

This back-to-back title adds to the rich legacy of Shady Side Academy girls' tennis, giving the school five total WPIAL singles championships. Alongside Meriwether’s recent wins, Shady Side’s legacy also includes titles from Lauren G. (2007) and Dua. With this victory, Meriwether joins an elite group of only 20 players in WPIAL history to win multiple singles championships.

Meriwether will now turn her focus to the PIAA Girls’ Tennis Singles Championships, set for November 1-2 at the Hershey Racquet Club. As a two-time WPIAL champion, she looks to continue her impressive run on the state stage.