Benet seniors Clare Lopatka and Shane Delaney were asked a question that few people get a chance to answer.
Which was harder, winning the first state championship or the second one?
“Definitely the second,” Lopatka said. “It was a really long, competitive match — just the fact that it went to a third set.”
After breezing through their first five matches while dropping just seven games, the top-seeded Delaney and Lopatka faced Chicago U-High sophomores Isabelle Ji and Sophia Holt in the Class 1A doubles state championship match at Hersey on Oct. 26.
Delaney and Lopatka had to work harder than ever but defeated the second-seeded Ji and Holt 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 to win their second consecutive state title. They are the first two-time state champions in program history.
“I was a little bit nervous going into the match, but I was also excited to play because I knew they were a really good team,” Lopatka said. “It was great to have a good, competitive match.”
The third set was tied at 5-5 before Lopatka held serve. The Benet duo then broke serve to secure their place in school history.
Delaney and Lopatka finished with a 34-3 record. They went 34-1 last season, when they did not lose a set in the state tournament.
“I agree with Clare that the second time is harder because you do have teams gunning for you, and that team we played had two sophomores,” Delaney said. “They wanted it bad, so I knew that was going to be tough.”
But Delaney and Lopatka were highly motivated as well and not only because they wanted to go out on top. The Redwings finished second in the team standings last year, one point behind U-High.
This time the rest of the team joined Delaney and Lopatka on the winner’s podium. The Redwings scored 37 points, six more than runner-up Hinsdale South, to win their second state title.
Benet seniors Natalie Grover and Katie Jendra finished fourth in doubles. In singles, Benet senior Meredith Converse reached the quarterfinals, and Lopatka’s sister Lily, a sophomore, reached the third round.
“It was really special for all of us because we’ve all worked really hard throughout the season, and we all were really gunning for it this year because last year was really close,” Lopatka said. “We were showing our team unity a lot.”
That impressed retiring Benet coach Mike Hand.
“All of the seniors provide a leadership role that the younger kids strive for,” Hand said. “(Delaney and Lopatka reached) obviously the pinnacle of winning a state championship. It’s hard to achieve that goal, so that is a great representation of the school, of their abilities and their talents.”
Neither Delaney, who intends to attend Wake Forest, or Lopatka, who has not picked a college, will play tennis at the next level. They ended their doubles partnership with an 86-10 record.
“I think this is a great way to end it,” Delaney said. “Claire and I both played four years of varsity tennis.
“I’ve thought about (legacy) a little bit. I’m looking forward to see what future generations have, and I hope that people will be as good as us and they can catch up to us because that means the program is doing well.”
Delaney and Lopatka leave big shoes to fill. What does it take to be a state champion in doubles?
“It takes definitely a lot of hard work and a lot of practice and hours and a lot of competition as well,” Lopatka said. “Be sure that you’re having fun and that you’re connecting and bonding with your partner so you have that chemistry.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
