The Hawthorne High School girls tennis team is working hard to have a strong finish to the 2013 season.

After the first six matches, the team’s record was 4:2. The girls have eight matches left in their season, and they are heading to their Passaic County Tournament on Tuesday, September 24.

“I have four returning starters,” stated Coach Jaclyn Peene, a physical education teacher at HHS. “Their experience will make them contenders for county. Three of the four made it to the semi-finals in their bracket. If they consistently do what they need to, and what I know they can do, they will be very successful this year. They are a hard-working, committed group of girls. Anyone can want to succeed, but these girls are determined to do whatever they can prepare to succeed.”

This year’s starters include senior Stephanie Doot in first singles, senior Paige Stroh in second singles, senior Jenna Dyksen in third singles; juniors Danielle Hampson and Rachael Milbrook in first doubles; and junior Abby Provencher with sophomore Erika La Monaca in second doubles.

The rest of the team includes sophomores Nicole D’Ascoli, Brianna Garcia, Martina Rogers, Larissa Isaac, and freshman Jaqueline Campos. Senior Christina Pecoraro helps as the team’s manager, and Barbara Mulvey, a paraprofessional at Lincoln Middle School, is the assistant coach.