Freshman Lexi Keberle of West Bend East stunned two-time defending champion Elizabeth Konon of Homestead to win the Division 1 State singles title with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 victory in the final Saturday.
Keberle remained unbeaten in her first season, finishing the year with a 30-0 record. She is the first freshman to go undefeated and win a State Division 1 title since Homestead’s Aly Coran accomplished the feat in 2008. Konon suffered her first defeat since her freshman season, having compiled a 141-2 record during her career. She will complete her prep career next weekend at the State Team Tournament.
Emily Kolbow of Arrowhead finishes third for the second straight year by defeating the same opponent she defeated in the third-place match last season, Lily Hayes of Whitefish Bay, 6-0, 7-5. Emma Luetschwager of Stevens Point placed fifth by downing Catherine Lindsay of Eau Claire Memorial 6-2, 6-2.
The top-seeded doubles tandem of Shelby and Tilly Chorney of Waunakee improved to 19-1 to claim the Division 1 doubles championship with at 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision over second-seeded Mardee Merar and Katya Mikhailanko of Homestead. The third seeded duo, Justine Daane and Samantha Pedersen of Green Bay Southwest topped Nicolet’s fourth-ranked team of Sara Miller and Michelle Margolies 6-2, 6-3 for third place. Darcy Hogendorn and Allison Ragsdale of Middleton finished fifth with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) win over Haley Reynolds and Maddie Strunsee of Kettle Moraine.
Top-seeded Grace Larrain of Newman Catholic captured the Division 2 singles title. She defeated second-seeded Jenna Zimmerman of Racine St. Catherine’s in the final 7-6 (6), 6-2. Larrain victory in the individual final gives her a 28-3 mark this season heading into the State Team Tournament next weekend. She placed fifth last season and runner-up in 2011.
Tallie Piaskowski of Roncalli finished third with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Michelle Sikes of Brookfield Academy in the third-place match, and Claire Czerwonka of Kenosha St. Joseph played to a fifth-place finish with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Emma Sango of Edgewood.
In Division 2 doubles play, Julie Veitinger and Taylor Benard of University School notched a 6-4, 6-3 victory as the third seed over top-seeded Maddy Brown and Hayley Clope of Racine St. Catherine’s in the final. Brown and Clope entered final match with a 32-0 mark after placing third at State last year, only to suffer their only setback of the season. Veitinger and Bernard win the title and enter team play next weekend with 15-5 record.
Toni Rufledt and Carly Maves of Newman Catholic finished third with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over Martha Longley and Grace Seibert of Edgewood in the third-place match. The Regis duo of Alecia Swenson and Gabby Brucker was fifth by outlasting Paige Kloth and Abi Goode of East Troy 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1 in the fifth-place match.
The State Girls Team Tournament is scheduled for Friday-Saturday Oct. 25-26 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. For the tournament schedule, visit the girls’ tennis homepage on the WIAA website at: http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/GirlsTennis.aspx