THE MEET: The 42nd Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Individual Tennis Tournament will be held Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 11-13. The meet takes place at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Action will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday and at 8:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $6 for adults and students.
THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Oct. 11
2 p.m. First Round Matches
Friday, Oct. 12
8:30 a.m. Action Through Quarterfinals
Saturday, Oct. 13
8:30 a.m. Consolation Semifinals
9 a.m. Championship Semifinals
10 a.m. Fifth-place Matches
11 a.m. Third-place Matches
11:30 a.m. Championship Matches
ON THE AIR: The State Girls Individual Tennis Tournament highlight program will air on FS Wisconsin Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. The State Team Tennis Tournament highlight package is scheduled to air Monday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m.
LAST YEAR: In singles play, third-seeded Elizabeth Konon of Homestead won the Division 1 singles title after finishing third in 2010. She defeated top-seeded Maddie Johnson of Onalaska 6-1, 6-1 in the championship match. Second-seeded Ellie Zimmermann of Notre Dame won the Division 2 singles title to cap her freshman season. She defeated Grace Larrain of Newman Catholic in the championship match 6-0, 6-3. In Division 1 doubles play, top-seeded Carly Peck and Sophia Lococo of Homestead earned the title by defeating Sarah Woods and Mary Newby of Divine Savior Holy Angels in the championship match 6-0, 7-5. The second-seeded duo of Riley Kelly and Rebecca Buchanan of University School won the Division 2 doubles crown by topping Abby Halla and Jane Salutz of Roncalli 7-6 (1), 6-4 in the title tilt.
DIVISION 1 SINGLES NOTES: Junior Elizabeth Konon of Homestead is the top seed in defense of the title she won last season. She also played her way to a third-place finish as a freshman in 2010. Konon enters play this week with a 28-0 mark. Konon’s teammate, junior Mardee Merar, is tabbed as the #2 seed. She is undefeated as well entering the tournament with a 30-0 record after placing fifth at State a year ago. Junior Lily Hayes of Whitefish Bay is the #3 seed. She finished fourth last season after gaining experience as a qualifier in 2010. She has recorded a 17-4 tally this season. Sophomore Emily Kolbow of Arrowhead is seeded fourth after advancing to the third round last season as a freshman. She has compiled a 26-4 record to this point in the season. Senior Megan Humphreys of Kenosha Tremper was awarded the fifth seed with a 33-2 record. Last season, she qualified and advanced to the quarterfinals before being ousted from title contention. The sixth seed goes to a freshman. Jennifer Skonieczny of Cedarburg has had a brilliant first campaign with a 22-5 record. Junior Lea Krajcovicova of Milton has yet to lose this season and was chosen as the #7 seed with a 24-0 mark, and sophomore Gabi Kitchell of D.C. Everest qualifies for the second year in a row and was selected as the #8 seed. She has a 27-1 record heading into State Tournament competition. There are five undefeated players in the Division 1 singles bracket this year. In addition to Konon, Merar and Krajcovicova, senior Lily Fisher of Badger and freshman Kaisey Skibba of Middleton are 23-0 and 25-0, respectively.
DIVISION 1 DOUBLES NOTES: The top seed was awarded to senior Sophia Lococo and freshman Anna Kreynin of Homestead. Lococo was half the duo that won the title last season teaming with Carly Peck. With Kreynin, the tandem has compiled an unblemished 30-0 record this season. Senior Mary Newby from Divine Savior Holy Angels was half the team that finished runner-up in 2011. She returns with senior Maddy Henderson as the #2 seeded team with a 20-4 record. Junior Sara Miller and sophomore Josie Docalavich of Nicolet are seeded third with a 25-5 tally. Miller placed third with Erin Miller last season. The tandem of senior Caroline Treis and senior Brooke Skemp of Brookfield Central remains intact and receives the fourth seed after the duo placed fourth last season. They have compiled a 24-3 record entering the State Tournament. Juniors Hannah Dexheimer and Bailey Sagen of Oshkosh West both qualified last season but with different partners, and both lost their opening round matches. They return to State this year as the #5 seed with a record of 31-1. Senior Simone Hussussian of Brookfield East comprised half the team the finished sixth in 2011. This season, she teams with senior Jessica Huang, who qualified with a different partner last year, to earn the sixth seed with a 15-6 mark. Junior Justine Daane of Green Bay Southwest qualifies again this season after finishing fifth last year with a different partner. She teams up with junior Sammi Pederson this season to qualify as the seventh seed with a record of 17-3. Juniors Caroline Krolicki and Mallory Wanserski of Wausau East are the #8 seed. The pair qualified last season and advanced to the third round before being eliminated from the title chase. They have returned to the tournament with a 25-1 record. The top-seeded tandem is the only undefeated pair in the field.
DIVISION 2 SINGLES NOTES: Sophomore Ellie Zimmermann of Notre Dame won the State championship as a freshman a year ago. She returns to defend her title as the top seed. She has posted a 23-0 record in her second campaign. Maddy Ecker, a senior from University School, is the second seed with a 25-4 record. She finished third a year ago after winning the Division 2 singles title in 2010 and placing runner-up in 2009. Junior Grace Larrain of Newman Catholic was runner-up to Zimmerman last season and returns as the #3 seed this season with a 28-3 mark. Ali Pollack of University School has had an impressive freshman season with a 30-2 record, and she has been assigned the fourth seed. Another possible contender for the singles title is senior Sara Murphy of Edgewood, who enters the meet with a 21-10 record after placing fifth a year ago. Zimmermann is the lone undefeated competitor in the bracket.
DIVISION 2 DOUBLES NOTES: Senior Abby Halla of Roncalli teams up with freshman Tallie Piaskowski to form the top-seeded doubles squad with a 28-0 record. Halla was half of the tandem that advanced to the title match last season and finished runner-up. Seniors Lauren Keller and Morgan Molitor of Edgewood are seeded second with a 25-3 tally this season. Keller has placed fourth the last two seasons with different partners, and Molitor advanced to quarterfinals a season ago. Seniors Kristen Kalinka and Megan Irving of Kenosha St. Joseph’s are the #3 seed with a 23-2 tally. Kalinka finished sixth in 2011 with another partner. The fourth seed was issued to senior Nicole Harris and sophomore Taylor Benard of University School with their 10-8 record to this point in the season. Last season, Harris qualified with a different teammate and proceeded to win their first match of the tournament before being defeated. Another tandem that may challenge for the doubles title are seniors Meghan Linehan and Nicole Pott of Notre Dame. They have a 12-5 mark this season. Last year, Linehan was half of the top-seeded tandem that finished third, and Pott finished fifth with a different teammate. The Halla/Piaskowski duo is one of two undefeated squads entering the tournament. Senior Haylie Noha and Katie Thompson of Baldwin-Woodville have a 9-0 mark in limited action.
NEED THE BRACKETS?: Brackets and qualifiers are available on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org. Locate the girls tennis Tournament Information option on the girls tennis homepage for the State Tournament information.
NEED RESULTS?: Results of the State Tournament are available on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org by accessing the girls tennis Tournament Information page.