While it may be a bit much to call the Stewarts’ participation in Norwich tennis a dynasty, there certainly is a long-standing legacy, especially when it comes to doubles play.
“Our family has been a doubles family, we really don’t play singles,” said Norwich head varsity girls tennis coach, John Stewart. “Doubles is pretty much ingrained in (the kids) from a young age.”
Perhaps there are some expectations to live up to as a member of the Stewart clan, and Norwich sophomores Bryn Loomis and her cousin Sophie Stewart are living up to the family tradition.
Bryn’s mother, Betsy Loomis (Stewart) won three straight Section IV, Class B doubles titles in the early ‘80s with partner Rona Stanfield. Betsy’s daughter Bryn is well on her way to matching those three titles as she and Sophie Stewart claimed the Section IV Class B tennis title last week at Owego Free Academy.
Loomis and Stewart helped guide Norwich to a second-place team showing in sectional scoring, its best finish in several years, and that accomplishment earns the duo our weekly honor as Smith Ford LLC/Evening Sun Athletes of the Week.
“This is something that they have thought about for a long, long time,” said coach John Stewart. “Playing doubles together was a childhood thought and dream for them. I don’t think there was any question that they would be playing doubles together.”
While playing tennis was a family activity, the two became more serious about their game around sixth grade, coach Stewart said. Loomis and Sophie Stewart made regular trips to the local tennis courts with their grandfather, John Stewart, a longtime well-regarded player in the area. “(My dad) had a big influence on how Sophie and Bryn play,” Coach Stewart said.
After joining the varsity in seventh grade and playing primarily exhibition matches, Loomis and Sophie Stewart were fixtures in the lineup in eighth-grade, and ascended to the top two singles players on the Norwich team as freshmen.
It was a year ago that they made their first appearance as partners in sectional tennis play. They reached the quarterfinals, but were beaten in three sets – after leading the final set – to the eventual Class B champions.
The setback actually gave the first cousins confidence, and they displayed that during regular-season singles play compiling a combined 17-5 mark against the best singles players opponents had to offer.
That led to the reformation of their doubles partnership last week in sectional play. After a first-round bye, the Norwich team blazed through the quarterfinals, won their semifinals match, 6-3, 6-3, then romped in the finals over Seton Catholic Central’s number two team, 6-2, 6-1. In all, Norwich’s top team did not lose a set, and did not allow more than three games in any one set.
It was a dominating victory, and Norwich’s first Class B tennis title in almost a decade. “I felt, going in, they were going to be one of the stronger doubles teams,” Coach Stewart said. “After narrowly losing to the top team last year, their confidence was high. They’re still learning how to close out matches, and that is the toughest thing for any competitor, to finish.
“In the semifinals against Chenango Valley, in the second set it looked like (Chenango Valley) was ready to come back. Bryn and Sophie didn’t let it happen. They were able to refocus, smooth things out, and put the clamps down.”
Next up is the Section IV state qualifier beginning today in Binghamton. A top-three finish, and the two will have to wait a little longer before committing themselves full-time to the winter sports season. “I feel like they could easily have a two, three, four finish,” Coach Stewart said optimistically.
Or perhaps, they may win it all.