Notre Dame pair aces OFSAA championships
Ava Choma and Drew Kernaghan served up a double double at the recent Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations tennis championships in Toronto.
The Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association mixed doubles champions from Notre Dame won five straight matches to win their second straight OFSAA title in the high school division.
Choma and Drew Kernaghan went into the tournament as the No. 1 seed and were given a first-round bye. From there, they marched to provincial gold by defeating Max Nevelev and Kelly Cheng 8-1, Eli Lock and Abby Hawke 8-0, Colin Jackson and Kenzi Bourassa 8-3, Ethan Jan and Haylee Sim 8-2 and Maxi Bernard and Michael Lyakutin 8-5 in the final.
“We definitely felt more accomplished this year than last year since it is such a big achievement to win back to back,” said Choma, a 17-year-old Welland resident. “Not many people have done it. We had high expectations and high pressure going in because we were the No 1 seed. Being able to achieve it makes it special.”
The Grade 11 student, who has been playing tennis since she was eight, has a simple explanation on why her and Kernaghan are such a good team.
“We have been playing with each other since the age of nine and we have always wanted to do OFSAA together. We always wondered if we could win it and it was kind of cool to do it with him because we have known each other for so long,” she said. “Our playing styles really mesh well together.”
But it is more than just complimentary styles that make the team work.
“We are pretty good friends and we play outside of school so we are already familiar with each other and trust each other on the court.”
The pair train at Youngs Sportsplex with Marko Petkovic.
“We have been playing and practising together in Welland outside of school for about eight years and we know how each other plays and we know how we fit together as a team already,” said Kernaghan, a 17-year-old Fonthill resident, who has been playing since he was five.
“It is just about going out there and competing.”
The Grade 11 student feels familiarity is crucial on the court.
“It is super important because you know what move they are going to make and what shot they are going to hit. You are already ready for the next ball.”
Kernaghan enjoys playing with Choma.
“We are always smiling and high fiving even when things aren’t really going our way. It is always positive and when someone makes a bad mistake we always lift each other up and keep our spirits high.”
Winning another gold medal was a big moment for the pair.
“It was really exciting when we finally won that last point,” he said. “We looked at each other and it was ‘We did it. We did it again.’ ”
Both players feel they can become even better as a team.
“We are growing and getting better because each week we are working on our tennis,” Kernaghan said.
That was evident in 2023.
“We were used to playing more matches together and both of us have grown as players as well. We have improved our tennis abilities and our partnership,” Choma said.
The two have no plans to rest on their laurels.
“It would be pretty cool if we could win it a third time,” Choma said.
Kernaghan is also thinking of a three peat.
“That is always on our minds. Ever since we won the first one, our goal was to win three in a row. We just need to continue to work on our chemistry as a team.”
