THE MEET: The 53rd Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Individual Tennis Tournament will be held Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 12-14. The meet takes place at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Action will begin Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and will resume Friday at 9 a.m. with Saturday matches to begin at 8:30 a.m.
GET TICKETS: The WIAA uses GoFan Ticketing for all digital and cashless tickets. Admission is $9 plus online fees per day for adults and students. All tickets must be redeemed on a mobile device. To purchase tickets, visit the WIAA website at: https://gofan.co/app/school/WIAAWI?activity=Tennis.
THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Oct. 12
10:30 a.m. First Round Matches
Friday, Oct. 13
9 a.m. Action Through Quarterfinals
Saturday, Oct. 14
8:30 a.m. Consolation Semifinals
9 a.m. Championship Singles Semifinals
9:30 a.m. Championship Doubles Semifinals
10 a.m. Fifth-place Matches
11 a.m. Third-place Matches
11:30 a.m. Championship Matches
BY THE NUMBERS: There were 199 teams sponsoring girls tennis this fall with 131 in Division 1 and 68 in Division 2. The top four finishers in flight 1 and the top finisher in flight 2 in both singles and doubles play at sectionals qualify for the State Tournament in each division. Also added to the tournament field by the seeding committee will be a maximum of 16 additional singles players and doubles teams in Division 1 and eight singles players and doubles teams in Division 2 that were eliminated earlier in the Tournament Series.
LAST YEAR: Parker Christensen of Elkhorn won the State Division 1 singles title to finish the season undefeated (26-0) as the #1 seed with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over seventh-seeded Emily Pan of Muskego in the championship match. In Division 1 doubles play, fourth-seeded Molly Jex and Lizzie Stuckslager of Divine Savior Holy Angels earned gold by defeating sixth-seeded Zoe Larson and Carly O’Leary of Cedarburg 6-2, 6-0 in the final. Second-seeded Lily Olson of Edgewood won the Division 2 singles title for the second straight year, defeating top-seeded Angela Wang of University School of Milwaukee 6-2, 6-3 in the championship match. The top-seeded tandem of Maia Samuelson and Ava Meyer of New Berlin Eisenhower won the Division 2 doubles championship with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over third-seeded Sophia Rondeau and Katie Metcalf of East Troy.
DIVISION 1 SINGLES NOTES: Senior Olivia Minikel of Manitowoc Lincoln is the #1 seed in the bracket with a 29-0 record after she finished fifth a season ago. She also advanced to the quarterfinals in 2021 following a fourth-place finish during the 2020-21 alternate season that was played in the spring to accommodate participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Freshman Karlie Schock of Bay Port received the #2 seed with an 11-1 record this season. Sophomore Clare Schaefer of Whitefish Bay is the #3 seed after placing sixth at State last season. She enters play with a 28-2 record this year. Junior Julia Gurholt of Kimberly is the #4 seed. She qualifies for the third straight season after advancing to the second round in each of her previous experiences. She has posted a 24-5 mark entering the State Tournament. Sophomore Lexie Hankel of Janesville Craig was issued the fifth seed, coming on the heels of a third-place finish last year. She has only lost a single match heading into play this week at 24-1. Senior Annalise Yang of Sun Prairie East is seeded #6 with a 20-4 record this season. She advanced to the third round of play at last year’s State Tournament coming off a fifth-place finish in 2021 and an alternate season State championship in 2020-21 while playing at Madison La Follette. Freshman McKenna Thorson of Verona is seeded seventh with a record of 25-4. Junior Natalie Stanula of Milwaukee Reagan is the #8 seed with a 24-2 record this season. Last year, she finished fourth at State after she advanced to the third round in her freshman campaign. Sophomore Caroline Raster of Brookfield East is seeded ninth with a record of 25-2 after advancing to the third round last year. Other notable qualifiers are seniors Netra Somasundaram of Middleton and Emily Pan of Muskego. Somasundaram is seeded 11th with an 18-9 record after she advanced to the third round a year ago that followed a fourth-place finish in 2021 and a fifth-place standing in the 2020-21 alternate season. Pan is seeded 12th with a 13-3 mark after she finished runner-up last season. In 2021, she qualified and finished runner-up in doubles play. In addition, she advanced to the third round of singles in 2020.
DIVISION 1 DOUBLES NOTES: Senior Molly Jex and sophomore Lizzie Stuckslager of Divine Savior Holy Angels are the returning champions, and they are the #1 seed this season with a 17-0 record. Jex also qualified with a different partner in 2021, advancing to the third round before being eliminated from title contention. The #2 seed in the bracket was issued to sophomore Ritu Nair and freshman Melina Fiorentini of Homestead with a record of 21-0. Nair gained State Tournament experience last season in singles play, advancing to the third round before being ousted from title contention. Sophomore Ana Cristescu and freshman Lillianna Graf of De Pere is seeded third with a 21-2 record. Cristescu and another partner was issued the top seed in the tourney a year ago that placed third. The fourth seed was issued to senior Lily Liu and sophomore Sarah Neubert of Arrowhead with a 24-4 record this season. Liu qualified with a different partner last year, falling in their first-round match. Senior Alison Abhold and sophomore Ella Wagner of Kettle Moraine are 30-3 this season and the #5 seed in the bracket. Abhold placed sixth last season with a different partner and advanced to the second round with another partner in 2021. Seniors Libby Plante and Lauren O’Leary of Cedarburg are the sixth seed with a 23-5 record, and seniors Ashley Andler and Keena Cheng of Middleton are seeded seventh with a 22-6 tally this season. Andler advanced to the third round with a different partner last season and reached the second round in 2021 with another partner. Cheng advanced to the second round with a different partner last season. Seniors Keagan Potter and Kate Conger of Oshkosh West are seeded eighth with a 24-7 record. The tandem placed fourth last season. Prior to that, Potter advanced to the second round in 2021 with a different partner. Other notable qualifiers are seniors Molly Ryan and Tyra Gustavson of Madison West, who are seeded 11th with a 27-7. They advanced to the quarterfinals last season. Both have additional State experiences as well. Ryan qualified in 2021 with a different partner. Gustavson fell in her first-round match in singles play in 2021 after advancing to the second round in doubles play with a different partner in the 2020-21 alternate season.
DIVISION 2 SINGLES NOTES: The top seed in the bracket was issued to two-time defending champion Lily Olson, a senior from Edgewood. She enters the tournament with a 22-0 record. In addition, Olson finished runner-up in the 2020-21 alternate season playing for Madison Memorial. Sophomore Angela Wang of University School of Milwaukee is the #2 seed. She enters the tournament with a 19-1 record after finishing runner-up to Olson last season. The #3 seed is senior Lily Jorgenson of The Prairie School. She has compiled a 17-3 record this season after qualifying the past two seasons, advancing to the third round in 2022 and to the second round in 2021. Senior Danica Silcox of Aquinas is a four-time qualifier. She has advanced to the second round of the tournament in each of her three previous experiences. She enters play this season seeded #4 with a 25-4 record. Senior Caitlyn Stadter of Mondovi is seeded fifth. She begins play this week with a 27-1 record after qualifying last season and advancing to the second round two years ago. Freshman Susanna Hundt of St. Joan Antida is seeded sixth. She has compiled a 20-1 in her first high school season. Senior Jessica Jacobson of Catholic Memorial qualifies for the third year in a row. She is the #7 seed with a 20-6 record after advancing to the third round last season and placing fourth in 2021. Senior Josie Rechek of Altoona is seeded eighth with a 20-5 record. She qualifies for the third season in a row attempting to advance past the first round for the first time.
DIVISION 2 DOUBLES NOTES: Senior Isabel Werner and junior Mia Darr of University School of Milwaukee are the top seed in the bracket with a 17-5 record. Werner qualifies for the fourth time in her career. She teamed with Darr to finish third last season. In 2021 with a different partner, Werner won the State title and also qualified with a another partner in 2020. Darr advanced to the second round with a different partner in 2021. Junior Sophia Torke and sophomore Grace Villwock of Kohler are seeded #2 with a 24-1 mark this season. The duo advanced to the quarterfinals a year ago before falling from title contention. In addition, Torke advanced to the quarterfinals with a different partner in 2021. The Xavier tandem of juniors Gabby Stammer and Grace Ogden qualify this season with a 17-4 record after qualifying with different partners last year. Ogden also qualified with another partner in 2021. Both Stammer and Ogden attempt to move past the first round for the first time. Seniors Bella Bauer and Josie Rondestvedt of Altoona are the #4 seed with a 28-1 record. The duo has advanced to the second round in each of the past two tournaments. Sophomores Hailey Erlich and Lindsey Gardner of University School of Milwaukee are undefeated at 22-0 to earn the #5 seed. Erlich gained State experience last season with a different partner, which resulted in a loss in the first round. Senior Colleen Callaghan and Ashley Chilson of Regis make-up the sixth seed with a 10-1 record. Callaghan experienced State last season, qualifying and advancing to the second round in singles play before falling out of the title chase. The #7 seeded duo is seniors Aubrey Vinney and Riley Fitch of East Troy. They enter action this week with a 26-3 record. Juniors Chloe Roberts and Amelia Lerret of Martin Luther are seeded #8. The tandem has compiled a 22-3 record this season.
NEED THE BRACKETS & PROGRAM?: Brackets and qualifiers are available on the girls tennis tournament page on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org. Information on the tournament can be downloaded or reviewed on the WIAA website.
NEED RESULTS?: Results of the Girls Individual Tennis State Tournament are available on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org by accessing the girls tennis tournament page.
FOLLOW STATE MEET ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Receive updates of the State Girls Tennis Individual Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaatennis. Also like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at wiaawi.
STATE MEET APPAREL: WIAA licensed apparel is available at the State Girls Individual and Team Tennis Tournaments at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
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