The Port Washington High School girls varsity tennis team captured the Nassau County championship with a dramatic 4-3 victory over top-seeded Syosset before sweeping Commack 7-0 to win the Long Island Large School championship.
The county title, the seventh in program history, marked a breakthrough for the Vikings, who had lost to their longtime rivals in the previous two county finals. Port Washington followed the victory by defeating Suffolk County champion Commack on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Shoreham-Wading River High School to claim its first Long Island Large School title since 2022.
For Port Washington Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics Nicholas Schratwieser, watching the team overcome Syosset was an emotional moment after years of close matches and difficult losses.
“I was overwhelmed with joy,” Schratwieser said. “We’ve gotten so close in the girls and boys tennis over the last several years. So to see the girls finally step over the line and win the match was just so overwhelming.”
The Port Washington Girls Varsity Tennis team won the Nassau County Championship against top seeded Syosset. (Photo provided by Nicholas Schratwieser)
Port Washington coach Shane Helfner said he wanted his players to approach the county final with a different mindset after falling short against Syosset in each of the previous two years.
“I tried to use the theme of flipping the script and changing the narrative,” Helfner said. “We talked about how we’re the authors of our own story.”
To reinforce that message, Helfner gave each player a pen as a symbol of the team’s ability to write its own story rather than let past disappointments determine the outcome.
The county final lived up to the rivalry’s reputation, with the championship coming down to the final stages of doubles competition.
Port Washington’s first and third doubles teams won in straight sets, while Syosset swept the three singles matches. With the Vikings trailing 3-2, the title came down to second and fourth doubles, with both matches extending to a third set.
Port Washington’s second doubles team pulled away after taking an early 4-1 lead in the deciding set, eventually winning 6-1. The fourth doubles match remained close, but the Vikings held their advantage and won 6-3 in the third set to secure the county championship.
“As a coach, you wonder, like, what path are they going to take?” Helfner said. “Are we going to fall just short again, like in past years, or are we going to finally show our grit and our mental determination to finish the job?”
When the final point was won, the team’s excitement was immediate.
Nicholas Schratwieser (L.) and Shane Helfner (R.) with the Nassau County Championship title. (Photo provided by Nicholas Schratwieser)
“The girls were jumping, going crazy. They stormed the court,” Helfner said. “It was really special, especially for the whole team.”
The victory was particularly meaningful for Port Washington’s eight seniors, many of whom had experienced the previous losses to Syosset.
“To be able to end their high school career with that kind of win was really special,” Helfner said.
The championship added to a program that previously won Nassau County titles in 2007, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Helfner credited the program’s continued success to the development of players across its middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels. He also emphasized the importance of the team’s chemistry.
This year’s roster included eight seniors, two freshmen and four eighth graders. Helfner said the players supported one another regardless of their grade or position, building close relationships throughout the season.
“They just love being with each other and supporting each other,” Helfner said.
Schratwieser echoed that assessment, praising the players’ positivity and commitment to one another.
Port Washington Girls Varsity Tennis team with their Long Island Championship trophy. (Photo provided by Nicholas Schratwieser)
“They’re so positive, and it’s just such a fun team to watch win because they care so much about each other,” he said.
Schratwieser also praised Helfner’s approach to coaching, saying he carefully considers individual strengths, doubles partnerships and matchups while helping players develop beyond the court.
“He really, really cares about developing them as tennis players, but almost more importantly, developing them as people,” Schratwieser said.
Following the county victory, the Vikings turned their attention to Commack in the Long Island Large School championship. Helfner said keeping the players focused after the emotional win over Syosset was a priority, so the team returned to practice before Saturday’s match.
Port Washington delivered a dominant performance, winning all seven matches.
Jamison Hershman and Lila Hershman won 6-0, 6-0 at fourth doubles, while Layna Koutsoyiannis and Peri Cooper posted the same score at third doubles. Evie Loewy and Ruby Siskind followed with a 6-1, 6-0 victory at second doubles.
Iris Kim clinched the championship with a 6-0, 6-0 win at third singles. The Vikings completed the sweep as Christiana Kent and Shoriya Bhat-Bhandarkar won 6-3, 6-1 at first doubles, Vanessa Wang earned a 6-3, 6-3 victory at second singles and Michaela Lin won 6-0, 6-2 at first singles.
The Long Island championship advanced Port Washington to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association regional tournament, extending a successful season for the Vikings.
For Schratwieser, the team’s achievements also reflect the growing culture of Port Washington athletics and the community’s support for student-athletes.
“The culture in Port Washington athletics is growing every day and every season,” he said. “This is just another chapter in that great story of the Port Washington Vikings.”