Graduation season is ending, and with it the many stories of heartwarming success written by the Class of 2025. Here are a few to carry us to beach season.
THE SAPOLSKY SUCCESSION
Barrington High School boys tennis capped its second consecutive undefeated season and state championship on June 1 with its 4-2 triumph over East Greenwich. Senior Luke Sapolsky, playing No. 1 singles, set the tone for the Eagles with his 6-3, 6-2 victory over freshman Tate Coker-Dodman. Luke rallied from a 0-3 deficit in the first set,
Winning is nothing new for Sapolsky. A quiet leader, he played No. 1 for the last three seasons and, without a doubt, will receive his fourth first-team All-State recognition in the coming weeks.
“He’s obviously one of the best players in the state, and we’ve taken him for granted too much,” Barrington coach Story Salit told Josh Bickford of the Barrington Times. Luke will enroll at Baruch College in New York City this fall.
Luke is the fourth Sapolsky to play for Barrington. Older brother Scott was first-team All-State in 2019 and 2022 and second-team All-State in 2021. He attends Northeastern University, is studying finance and is playing club tennis. NU does not have a varsity tennis program. Mark, the eldest of Steve and Jennifer Sapolsky’s three sons, was a member if the 2019 championship team. He is a Warwick firefighter now.
Their dad Steve started the Sapolsky run at Barrington High in the early 1980s. He was second-team All-State in singles and doubles in 1985. He probably would have been first-team had his career not coincided with the Brothers Ernst – Gordie and Bobby – from Cranston East. Forty years ago they were the best in Rhode Island in singles and doubles.
Steve played tennis at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and was named the Mules Most Valuable Player twice. He earned a graduate degree at Rhode Island College, taught and coached at various clubs and camps around the state and since 2000 has been the head pro at Tennis Rhode Island East Bay in East Providence.
Steve did not plan his sons’ success on the tennis court.
“I always knew they would try tennis at an early age but didn’t know if they would stay with it. I never pushed it. They just saw me do it every day for 40 years. Go to work,” he told me on Wednesday.
Steve did say that Luke had access to the courts at Tennis Rhode Island in East Providence but “we never pushed him so hard he would get burned out. He trained at his own pace. He never trained 20 hours a week. He never overtrained in the winter.”
Luke was a four-time semifinalist in the state singles tournament. Joe Cavanagh of La Salle upset him this year.
“That was a tough loss, but Joey deserved it,” Steve said. “Luke handled it well. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
And let’s not forget that Luke rallied and won his point in the state championship match.
Now, back to Steve’s losses to Gordie Ernst 40 years ago. He laughed while reminiscing.
“The state tournament was at Hope High. I felt like I was overpowered. Gordie had a wrist injury that year, and he still beat me, 6-3, 6-3. In the state doubles final, Brian Lomax and I got absolutely smoked in that one.”
THE CAVANAGH CONNECTION
A player with a familiar family name reached the final of the state singles tournament at Slater Park in May. Joe Cavanagh, a La Salle Academy senior, lost to his teammate Andrew Smith, 6-2, 6-0, but there’s a back story here. Cavanagh upset Luke Sapolsky in the semifinals, unbeknownst to him, breaking his thumb in the process.
Cavanagh climbed the La Salle tennis ladder the old-fashioned way. As a 5-foot-4, 130-pound freshman, he played doubles. As a sophomore, he played No. 4 singles and went undefeated in the regular season. He moved up to No. 3 singles as a junior, went undefeated again in the regular season and lost to Luke Sapolsky in the state quarterfinals. This spring, as a 6-foot-1, 150-pound senior, he played No. 2 singles behind Smith, did not lose a match during the season and reached the final against his La Salle teammate.
Young Joe will be off to Georgetown University in the fall.
Patrick Cavanagh, a senior at Bishop Hendricken and Joe’s cousin, came late to the tennis game. His first love in high school was the theater; he was a fixture around the Hendricken stage. He was also the manager for Hendricken hockey.
Patrick joined the Hawks tennis team last year and played doubles. This spring he was paired with junior Shane Ciunci. They reached the final of the state doubles tournament against Henry Birbiglia and Connor Meehan of Barrington and lost, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Patrick will attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall.
Joe’s dad is Joseph V. Cavanagh III. Patrick’s father is Paul Cavanagh. Those brothers grew up in Warwick, played hockey for Toll Gate High School and in college skated for Holy Cross.
Their father, Joe and Patrick’s grandfather, is Joseph V. Cavanagh, Jr., one of the finest hockey and tennis players to come out of Rhode Island ever. He was a multiple first-team All-State in both sports at Cranston East in the mid-1960s, was an All-America in both sports at Harvard in the late ‘60s, and chose law school at Boston College over a shot at professional or Olympic hockey in the early 1970s.
Years ago, Joe replaced his tennis racquets with golf clubs. Still, he enjoyed watching his grandsons play tennis.
“It brought back a lot of memories,” he told me. “I’m proud of them.”
POWER HOUR
Before she started high school at Moses Brown, Sophia Clyne of Providence was already motivated, organized and learning to lead. She operated a summer boot camp for kids in her East Side neighborhood.
Power Hour, she called it. Moms, dads, and granddads dropped their kids in Sophia’s front yard. Clipboard in hand, she collected names and the modest fee and then supervised various exercises, drills and games. The kids, mostly kindergarteners, loved it. They even had fun running up the long, moderately steep hill near Sophia’s house. Thanks to her, those little boys and girls are third-grade soccer and lacrosse stars today.
Sophia played field hockey at Moses Brown for four years and lacrosse for two. She dropped lacrosse for cross-country and track. Last fall she was captain of Moses Brown’s undefeated state championship field hockey team. Here’s what her coach told me:
“She’s an incredible student athlete. She truly defines the meaning of being a student first and athlete second but excels at both with the same intensity and energy,” Leslie Caito-Jones said.
“Whatever she sets her mind to, she goes at it full throttle and gives all her heart and energy. She was an incredible captain for us this season, especially to our underclassmen. Taking them under her wing, making sure they were all set with anything school or team related. They all clearly looked up to her. She was a three-year starter for us and will certainly be missed on and off the field next year.”
Sophia is bound for Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in the fall.
