WPIAL champion Gateway tandem again returns home with PIAA medals

By: Michael Love
Sunday, June 1, 2025 | 11:01 AM

Gateway’s Logan Memije and Zidaan Hassan again carried the mantle of WPIAL champions into the PIAA Class 3A doubles tournament May 23-24 at the Hershey Racquet Club.

And for the second time in as many years, the Gators duo — Hassan a senior and Memije a junior — brought home state bronze medals.

They came close to making it to the finals — they lost in the semifinals — but they rallied to make sure they didn’t come home empty handed.

Hassan and Memije secured third with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over the Lower Merion combination of junior Nathan Dolgushev and senior Charlie Bittinger.

“Capturing PIAA bronze for the second year in a row, it is a remarkable feat that cements their legacy in Gateway tennis history,” coach Matt Stockunas said.

Hassan and Memije won their first-round and quarterfinal match in straight sets May 23 to set up a semifinal contest the next day with the Landisville Hempfield duo of senior Cooper Lehman and freshman Braylen Garcia.

The District 3 champions, Lehman and Garcia came in as the No. 1 seed, and they prevailed in the competitive matchup, 6-4, 6-4.

“They played fantastic on Day 1 and had a little bit of a slow start on Day 2,” Stockunas said.

“I think if they could go back to the semifinal match, I think they would want to do a few things a little bit differently. But there was some high-level tennis played both days.”

Hassan capped his varsity career 52-8 in singles matches and 31-3 in doubles competition.

Adam Memije went all out to win his first-round match against District 3 third-place Michael Georgelis, a senior from Lancaster Country Day.

The WPIAL champion won tiebreakers in both sets in the 2-hour, 15-minute match to advance to the quarterfinals.

“Adam had a really tough draw,” Stockunas said. “His first match was like playing two full matches. It was a high-stakes battle of nerves. It was a testament to his grit and determination.”

Adam Memije wasn’t able to keep it going in the quarters as he fell to District 1 runner-up, Unionville senior Matt Miller, 6-2, 6-3.

Miller came into the match as the No. 10 ranked senior in Pennsylvania.

“Adam gave a strong effort against Miller,” Stockunas said. “It was a competitive match which capped off an impressive singles career.”

Adam Memije finished 58-7 in high school singles matches and 11-1 in doubles.

“I am just so proud of all three of them, Adam, Logan and Zidaan, for not only how they performed but also for their overall demeanor and how they carried themselves as young men,” Stockunas said.

It was a successful weekend for WPIAL competitors overall.

In addition to Hassan and Logan Memije winning bronze, Belle Vernon junior Max Henson won the Class 2A singles title, and the South Park team of juniors Jonah Jasek and Steven Duing claimed silver in the Class 2A doubles tournament.

North Allegheny sophomore Advaita Sircar, the WPIAL runner-up to Memije in the WPIAL singles finals, made it to the state championship match before falling 7-6 (1), 6-3.

Stockunas said the camaraderie was strong among those in the WPIAL contingent at states.

“Zidaan and Logan warmed up in practice time Thursday with the two boys from Mt. Lebanon (WPIAL runners-up Luca Ritivoi and Mark Summers),” Stockunas said.

“Adam, Advaita and Max worked on a court together, warming up, getting loose, and getting used to the court speed.

“We’re all pulling for each other to come out on top in doubles and singles and even the teams. We battle during the regular season and in the WPIAL tournaments, and a high level of respect is developed. The WPIAL had a pretty good run last weekend.”

Stockunas said Hassan and Adam Memije will be missed as they move on from Gateway, but there is excitement from many at what both will be able to do at Allegheny College.

“I’ve been working with Adam and Zidaan for three years now, and we’ve grown very close as players and coach from what they’ve accomplished and the time we’ve spent together, including long trips to states,” Stockunas said.

“It will be sad to see them go, but they will be close, and I look forward to them putting in their paperwork next year to come back from college to maybe volunteer and be a part of the program.”

Logan Memije is expected to take over the No. 1 singles spot, and he and others like rising senior Troy Boden will be charged with keeping the program strong.

“Logan’s been a strong leader for us the past couple of years with Zidaan and Adam,” Stockunas said.

“We were talking (Thursday) about next year, and he’s looking forward to working hard in the summer, fall and winter to prepare himself to take over the No. 1 spot on the team and go after that No. 1 spot in the WPIAL.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Gateway