Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Local entries struggle at state tennis tournament

Rain forces cancellation of consolation bracket

The trip to the IHSA girls state tennis tournament proved to be a short one for several metro-east entries Thursday in the Chicago suburbs.

Southwestern Conference champion Jennifer Kim and Edwardsville sophomore Tess Severin were among the few players who won singles matches during the rain-marred first day of the tournament.

Heavy rain caused tournament officials to push all matches indoors Thursday and with more rain predicted for today, the consolation bracket was canceled.

Severin defeated Marion's Tayler Cypin 6-1, 6-0 to advance into a second-round match against second-seeded (Darien) Hinsdale Central's Nida Hamilton.

Kim defeated Lawrenceville's Audrey Metheney 6-0, 6-1 and was scheduled to take on Peoria Richwoods' Abby Klaus.

Among the first-round singles losers were Alton's Allison Callahan, Waterloo's Rachel Webb, Belleville East's Lauren Bradley, Triad's Rachel Allard and Highland's Valerie Strasser.

Things didn't go much better for local players in doubles as only two teams posted first-round wins.

Althoff's team of Kelsey Porter and Jennifer Hipkiss defeated (Crystal Lake) Prairie Ridge's Carrie Keahl and Haley Ljunggren 6-0, 6-4 before losing their second-round match.

Mascoutah's Jeneca Mathews and Maeve Knobeloch defeated (New Lenox) Lincoln-Way Central's A.C. Tompkins and Alex Judge 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, then lost a second round match to (Naperville) Neuqua Valley's Ali Peters and Aileen Hoffmann.

Losing their only state finals match were East's Miranda Lopez and Michelle Gass, Althoff's Taylor Monken and Allison Burnworth, Belleville West's Kelcie Comley and Allison Chadwick and Edwardsville's teams of Maria Kovarik and Paige Sturley and Morgan McGinnis and Jessica Burns.