As the Lynnfield girls tennis team prepares for what it hopes will be a deep run in the Division 4 state tournament, there are two players who have been front and center when it comes to leadership: senior captains Leticia Marafon and Maddie Sieve.
Marafon is a four-year veteran. Sieve ran track as a freshman but decided to try her hand at tennis her sophomore year. She’s been at it ever since.
“It’s crazy thinking that these three years have gone by so fast. Coach Stone was the one who got me to move over to tennis and these have been the best three years of my life,” Sieve said.
“Honestly, like Maddie said, these have been the best four years of my life. Coach Stone is an incredible coach and I love seeing him all spring,” Marafon said. “Also, being able to play on these new courts has been an incredible opportunity, especially being our senior year.”
The girls are not only leaders on the court, but in the classroom, too. Both are members of the National Honor Society and are ranked in the top of their class. Marafon is currently taking five AP courses: literature and composition, psychology, calculus, Spanish language, and microeconomics. She’ll finish her high school career with a total of nine AP courses.
Sieve is taking two AP courses this year: AP statistics and AP psychology.
Marafon and Sieve are quick to deflect credit for their academic achievements to their teachers.
“Honestly, the teachers have been incredible and the staff here is just great,” Marafon said.
“The teachers at the high school have built incredible connections with everyone at the school, so it will be hard to say goodbye,” Sieve said.
The two will be going their separate ways this fall, Marafon at Northeastern University and Sieve at Stonehill College. Marafon plans to major in business administration with a concentration in finance. She hopes to own her own business some day. Sieve plans to major in elementary education. She’s following in her mother Sharla’s footsteps and planning to become a teacher, perhaps at the elementary school level.
With their high school sports careers nearly in the rearview mirror, both girls appreciate the support the community and Stone have given them.
“It’s been an amazing season and I think we are so grateful to have, as Leticia said, such an amazing coach,” Sieve said. “Rain or shine, Coach Stone has cheered us on and made us the players we are today. I have to thank him for everything he has done, not just for me, but for the entire team and program.”
“We have an incredible team and coach and the Lynnfield community has been so insanely supportive,” Marafon said. “It’s great. Everybody cheers each other on. Lynnfield girls tennis is just a really good place to be.”
During Thursday’s ceremony ,honoring the seniors prior to the North Reading match, Stone highlighted the duo’s willingness to always put team first.
“Their roles have changed over their years on the team. Maybe as freshmen, they were a spot starter or a JV player or possibly a varsity starter. Some played a limited role early and then went on to play more important roles later on,” Stone said. “Regardless of the role they played, they recognized the importance of improving their skills because the better they became as players, the better we became as a team. Yes, tennis is an individual sport but with a team emphasis. I use the acronym TEAM (together we achieve more).”
And speaking of team success, the Pioneers wrapped up Senior Day festivities with a 5-0 smacking of North Reading. Going into the match, Sieve was laser-focused on avenging her early-season singles loss to the Hornets.
“I knew we were really focused on winning the match, so I wasn’t worried about my teammates, but I did want to win my match to even things up,” she said.
The Pioneers quest for a state championship begins this week (opponent TBD at press time).
“I think if we really put our minds to it, we definitely have a chance to win it. It’s about our consistency and attitude towards these matches. If we can do that, we can get pretty far,” Sieve said.
Marafon couldn’t have agreed more.
“I think we have a really good shot at it if we keep our heads together and be consistent with our shots,” she said.
