THE MEET: The 22nd Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Team Tennis Tournament will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23-24. The meet takes place at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Action will begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday and will resume Saturday at 9 a.m. Admission is $6 for adults and students.
THE DIVISION 1 MATCH-UPS:
Division 1 - Quarterfinals (5:30 p.m. Oct. 23)
Match-1: Eau Claire Memorial (21-2) vs. Nicolet (18-4)
Match-2: Manitowoc Lincoln (13-3) vs. Brookfield East (17-7)
Match-3: Waunakee (21-2) vs. Sun Prairie (13-4-1)
Match-4: Neenah (14-1) vs. Arrowhead (20-3)
Division 1 - Semifinals (9 a.m. Oct. 24)
Match-5: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
Match-6: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4
Division 1 - Championship (2 p.m. Oct. 24)
Match-7: Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6
THE DIVISION 2 MATCH-UPS:
Division 2 - Semifinals (9 a.m. Oct. 24)
Match-1: Baldwin-Woodville (15-2) vs. Altoona (15-4)
Match-2: Kohler (14-6) vs. Edgewood (16-1)
Division 2 - Championship (2 p.m. Oct. 24)
Match-3: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
BY THE NUMBERS: There were 206 teams sponsoring girls tennis this fall with 134 in Division 1 and 72 in Division 2. The State Tournament field of teams is determined by team points recorded at the subsectional and sectional levels.
LAST YEAR: Arrowhead won its first girls tennis team title by capturing the Division 1 championship in its first-ever appearance in the State Team Tournament with a 5-2 victory over Neenah in the championship match. The Warhawks won three of the four singles matches and added victories at the #1 and #2 doubles flights. University School won the Division 2 title to earn the school’s seventh girls tennis team title. The Wildcats posted a 4-3 win over defending champion Edgewood in the championship match. The Wildcats won the #3 and #4 singles matches and the #1 and #3 doubles matches to earn the title.
THE HISTORY OF THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: In Division 1, Nicolet has won six titles since the advent of the team championship dual format in 1994 and have won a membership-leading 17 titles. Brookfield Central has won nine team championships and three since the beginning of the dual format. Whitefish Bay has won eight titles, including four Division 2 titles.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Defending champion Arrowhead is back to defend the team title it won a year ago in its first experience in the team tournament. Last year’s runner-up Neenah is making its 13th overall appearance at State and its fourth in a row. The Rockets’ best outcome in the State Team Tournament have come with their four runner-up finishes. Other second-place finishes came in 1983 and 1986–which was prior to the team tournament format–and in 2000. Eau Claire Memorial is making its sixth straight appearance at State and its 17th overall. In addition to a runner-up finish in 2013, the Old Abes have placed second four other times (1998, 1999, 2001, 2004). Nicolet is making its 12th appearance overall since the dual meet format was established and its sixth in the last seven seasons. The Knights have won six team championships, including three straight on two different occasions, from 1994-96 and from 1998-2000. Including the pre-team tournament era, they have been crowned team champions a membership-leading 17 times and have finished runner-up eight times. Brookfield East returns to State for the second straight season and for the fourth time overall. The most notable of the Spartans’ appearances was advancing to the semifinals in 1994. The remaining three teams in the Division 1 field–Manitowoc Lincoln, Sun Prairie and Waunakee–are making their first-ever appearances in the State team tournament.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Last year’s runner-up Edgewood makes its seventh straight appearance in the State Tournament field and its ninth overall. In addition to the title they won in 2013, the Crusaders recorded runner-up finishes on four occasions–in 2004, 2010, 2012 and again last season. Altoona advances to the state semifinals for the first time since 2009 and for the fifth time overall. The Railroaders are attempting to advance past the semifinals for the first time. Baldwin-Woodville will participate in the State Team Tournament for the second time after qualifying for the first time last season, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. It’s the first appearance for Kohler in the State team tournament.
LAST WEEK: Emily Luetschwager of Stevens Point capped an undefeated season by winning the Division 1 singles championship with a 35-0 record. The top-seeded Luetschwager defeated the second seed Dao Sysouvanh of Sun Prairie by the match score of 6-2, 6-4. Abbey Webber and Kaisey Skibba of Middleton won the Division 1 doubles championship. The duo, seeded second entering the tournament, defeated the fourth-seeded tandem of Elise Gerard and Annabelle Crowley of Nicolet, 6-1, 6-1 in the championship match. Claire Czerwonka of Kenosha St. Joseph captured the Division 2 singles championship for the second consecutive year. She defeated Tallie Piaskowski of Roncalli 7-6(2), 7-6(5) in the championship match. Riley Strauss and Caroline Taylor of University School earned the Division 2 doubles crown by defeating top-seeded Abby Fox and Maddie Molitor of Edgewood 6-1, 7-5 in the title match.
NEED INFORMATION?: Rosters and records of teams in the State Tournament are available on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org and accessing the girls tennis homepage. Results will also be available online on the girls tennis homepage.
FOLLOW STATE MEET ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Receive updates of the State Girls Tennis Team Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaatennis. Also follow daily recaps on Facebook.
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Release by WIAA Communications