Marshall’s Johannah Galindo makes it three City Section tennis titles in a row

Johannah Galindo emerged victorious once again on Tuesday afternoon at Birmingham High in the finals of the City Section individual tennis tournament. Her familiar opponent was her sister Julianna.

For the third consecutive year, Johannah overpowered her younger sister to stake her claim on the singles title, delivering a lovely parting gift as she graduates one semester early from Marshall High to join the University of Hawaii. This decision follows her recent commitment to a full-ride athletic scholarship from the institution.

Despite her victory, Johannah expressed her compassion for Julianna, acknowledging that she won’t have an opportunity to win until she graduates. She humorously pointed out that Julianna could’ve won three consecutive titles if it weren’t for her absence.

Recognized as one of the top players in California and nationally, Johannah’s tennis journey began at the age of 5 under the guidance of her father. She’s been playing in tournaments since the age of 8, even representing the boys’ squad her freshman year at Marshall when the school lacked a girls’ team.

With an undefeated record in City competition for three years, Johannah has been a dominant force on the court, having previously defeated Julianna in the individual finals with scores of 6-4, 6-4 in 2021 and 6-3, 6-3 last year. Her commitment to the University of Hawaii solidified after she visited the campus during a tournament in Honolulu last October.

On the other hand, Julianna, aged 16, drew wisdom from Johannah’s expertise and managed to secure victory over Granada Hills’ No. 1 player, Saruyi Parandian, in a nail-biting three-setter in the semifinals, nurturing hope for a successful feat in 2024.

“I’ve had enough of second place so, yes, next year is a big opportunity,” Julianna expressed. “It’s a great experience playing Johannah. She has a different game than me, she’s more aggressive, but I’ve improved a lot by playing her. She’s always supporting me.”

Regarding the possibility of joining her sister at the University of Hawaii, Julianna refrained from ruling out the notion, stating, “It’s definitely an option to play with her there.”

Amidst the Galindo sisters’ singles championship, Granada Hills juniors Georgia Brown and Priscilla Grinner dominated the doubles tournament, securing their second consecutive title with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Palisades’ Sashi Gancheva and Anne Kelly.

Grinner and Brown have been playing tennis since childhood, with Brown starting at the age of 8. In the final match, Brown played the deuce court, while Grinner took the ad side. Despite being competitors on the court, they enjoy spending time together off-court – building Legos, going on adventures, and indulging in their favorite eatery.

“We both play singles outside of school, but I love playing with Georgia,” Grinner expressed. “We know when to pick each other up and we know we won’t let each other down.”

“We’re patient with each other and we stay positive,” Brown added. “We try to be aggressive but smart at the same time. We usually find our opponents’ weaknesses and if they make adjustments, we change things up.”

As they embark on their journey to claim a third consecutive title next year, Grinner and Brown remain optimistic and determined.

Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.

This article originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.