Northview’s Miller wins 4th NLL crown

Spidel, Fastnacht top doubles team to help Perrysburg take team title

Northview senior Megan Miller beat Perrysburg’s Erica Fastnacht 6-0, 6-0 in 57 minutes to win her fourth No. 1 singles NLL crown.

THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON
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Northview senior Megan Miller beat Perrysburg’s Erica Fastnacht 6-0, 6-0 in 57 minutes to win her fourth No. 1 singles NLL crown.

After focusing so intently on making history, Northview senior Megan Miller finally let her emotions flow when her mom and coach met her at center court Wednesday.

Miller is believed to be the first player to ever win four Northern Lakes League No. 1 singles titles at Jermain Park. It took Miller just 57 minutes to win 6-0, 6-0 against Perrysburg’s Erica Fastnacht.

PHOTO GALLERY: NLL tournament

“It’s been my goal since I was a freshman. It’s just amazing that I pulled it out,” Miller said. “My family is here, and they’ve been supporting me forever, so it feels great.”

Northview coach Susie Miller, Megan’s mother, embraced her daughter after the match just as she did when Megan won the NLL as a freshman, sophomore, and junior.

“For four years I’ve watched her grow, and I’ve enjoyed it,” she said. “It’s my daughter, and it’s the last time, so it’s very emotional. I’m just so proud of her.”

Miller also is the only player to have never lost a league match in her high school career. Miller, who will play at Bowling Green State University, featured a strong forehand, a great ground stroke, and was overpowering overall.

“I was keeping my cool until she walked out,” Megan said. “It’s the mother-daughter thing.”

There also was elation for the Perrysburg girls, who won the NLL team title. The Yellow Jackets qualified players to all five championship matches and won four of them.

Perrysburg, which had won consecutive titles from 2003 to 2010, climbed back to the top. Northview won the team championship last year.

Perrysburg coach Julie Weider said it was a team effort. Weider said she has 10 players on the varsity and struggled with whom to start at which positions.

“It feels fantastic,” Weider said. “We don’t have any one star. We have a team that is very deep at singles and doubles.”

The overall team title is determined by a combination of points earned from dual meet record and tournament points.

Perrysburg, which went 7-0 in dual meets, was first followed by Northview, Anthony Wayne, Napoleon, and Springfield.

The Yellow Jackets faced players from Northview in four of the five championship matches. Moira Sams won at No. 2 singles, and Jaden Northcutt took the title at third singles.

Perrysburg swept the doubles championship matches. The Yellow Jackets’ Jordan Spidel and Sarah Fastnacht took the title at first doubles. Camryn Kiel and Kennedy Northcutt won at at No. 2 doubles.

Perrysburg clinched the team title when Spidel and Fastnacht defeated Northview’s Geeta Rao and Kate Diment 6-4, 6-2 in No. 1 doubles.

“That was really exciting. They had worked so hard for this,” Weider said. “They peaked at the right time. It was a sweet victory.”

Perrysburg’s Jordan Spidel, left, and Sarah Fastnacht won in No. 1 doubles against Northview’s Kate Diment and Geeta Rao.

Miller, who watched her teammates after she made quick work of her match, said she has been trying to come to the net more and be more aggressive.

“Today I tried to hit corners if I could and try to hit winners hard,” Miller said.

Coach Miller, who has led the Wildcats program for 21 years, said no other player has won four NLL titles.

“Once she won that freshman year, it became her goal,” Miller said “She wanted to do it especially for Northview. Now Northview has the first person to have done it.”

At second singles, Sams outlasted Madison Smith of Anthony Wayne 7-6, 7-5.

At No. 3 singles, Jaden Northcutt dispatched Northview’s Sam Howald 6-2, 6-3.

Perrysburg’s Kiel and Kennedy Northcutt defeated Northview’s Jessica Mermer and Heather Dorner 6-3, 6-2 in No. 2 doubles.

Perrysburg also defeated Northview in the dual meet.

Miller said she was “shocked” when she won the NLL as a freshman.

“Then going into sophomore year it gave me faith I could do it again,” Miller said. “Junior year came around, and I knew I just had to keep working. Senior year I wanted to keep that streak going.

“Emotionally, I’m a mess right now. I love my team.”

Contact Mark Monroe at: mmonroe@theblade.com, 419-724-6354 or on Twitter @MonroeBlade.