Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009

Maroons doubles tandem takes high hopes to state tennis tourney

Chadwick and Comley are seeded in top 32

As a tennis player at Belleville West in the mid 1990s, Tricia Altmansberger was known for her consistency and was a key player on one of the most successful high school girls tennis programs in area history.

Now, more than a decade later, Altmansberger is doing her part to continue the legacy of excellence -- as the Maroons coach.

Aided by a doubles title from Allison Chadwick and Kelcie Comley, the Maroons ran their streak of sectional team titles to 24 on Saturday by winning the Carbondale Sectional.

"Honestly, I didn't know about the streak until Saturday. It's a long time and just says a lot about the players that have come through here and about (coach) Bob Keefe. I'm glad we were able to keep it going,'' Altmansberger said. "You're always hoping to advance more players, but every one of our four entries at the sectional tournament scored points and lived up to what their seeds were. That's all I can ask. It was a great team effort.''

Altmansberger and several other local coaches and players have now turned their attentions to individual competition for the IHSA state tennis tournament, which begins today in the Chicago suburbs.

Three rounds of play will be held today at several sites with the tournament continuing Friday and Saturday.

The metro-east will be represented by eight singles entries and nine doubles teams.

Of those players, only Comley and Chadwick and Granite City senior Jennifer Kim received top 32 seeds in their respective divisions.

Kim, a two-time sectional champion who defeated Waterloo's Rachel Webb in Saturday's final of the O'Fallon Sectional, will make her fourth trip to state.

Kim won five of her seven matches at state a year ago.

"I feel like I'm ready and looking forward to playing the best players in the state,'' Kim said. "My goal is to make it to the top eight. It will be difficult, but I'm playing well right now.''

Other top hopes in singles include Webb, a two-time sectional runner-up, Alton's Allison Callahan and Belleville East's Lauren Bradley.

The top area hopes rest in doubles where at least four tandems have a chance of playing several matches, both in the winners and consolation brackets.

Comley and Chadwick seem to be playing as well as anyone in the area. In the past two weeks, the Maroons top tandem has won Southwestern Conference and sectional championships.

"They have elevated their games the past two weeks,'' Altmansberger said. "Of course so much depends on what kind of draw we get, but realistically our goal is to still be playing on Friday.''

Making their second straight trip as a doubles team will be Althoff's Kelsey Porter and Jennifer Hipkiss, who won the doubles title at the O'Fallon Sectional.

Hipkiss and Porter won two of four matches at state in 2008.

"I think being there before and knowing what to expect is going to be a big help to both girls,'' Crusaders coach Julie Howenstein said. "It would nice to be able to advance and still be playing on Friday.''

Other top hopes include East's Miranda Lopez and Michelle Gass and Edwardsville's Maria Kovarik and Paige Sturley.