Girls tennis: Minnewaska Lakers' depth shines at West Central Conference championships
Sep. 28—ALEXANDRIA — It was a near sweep of conference titles for the Minnewaska girls tennis team at the West Central Conference championships on Saturday.
Minnewaska took home three of the four singles titles and swept the doubles championships.
The Lakers' senior Alia Randt, who was the top seed, won the No. 1 singles title with a 7-5, 6-3 win over third-seeded Lydia Sweep of Morris/Chokio-Alberta/West Central Area. Montevideo senior Ashley Klaassen defeated Yellow Medicine East sophomore Brianna Nelson in the third-place match, winning 6-4, 6-1. Klaassen was the No. 2 seed. Nelson was the No. 4 seed.
Top-seeded senior Olivia Danielson of Minnewaska secured the No. 2 singles title behind a 6-3, 6-1 win against second-seeded senior Avery Albrecht of the Thunder Hawks.
Montevideo senior Kylieann Johnson, who entered as the second seed, won the No. 3 singles bracket by defeating fourth-seeded Samantha Konz of MACA/WCA 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Minnewaska freshman Ari Quelle was the top seed in her No. 4 singles title run. She won 6-2, 6-1 against third-seeded Jada Rausch of Melrose. Nora Mages, a Montevideo eighth-grader seeded No. 2, was third with a 6-4, 6-3 win against fourth-seeded Halle Grimm of MACA/WCA.
Addy Heid and Nora VanZee entered as the top-seeded No. 1 doubles pairing and won the title for the Lakers. The senior and junior duo beat Montevideo senior Junia Fitzkappes and junior Emma Johnson 6-3, 6-4. Fitzkappes and Johnson were the second seed.
At No. 2 doubles, top-seeded freshman Clara Rankin and junior Kaylen Blair of Minnesota defeated sixth-seeded Jenna Riley and Anna Feltman of Sauk Centre in the championship match 6-1, 6-2. For the Thunder Hawks, sophomores Becca Golden and Kamryn Bjerkeset were the second seed and finished third with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against MACA/WCA's Hannah Schneider and Maggie Knobloch, who were the fifth seed.
Top-seeded Kennedy Blair and Peyton Sundheim helped round out Minnewaska's strong performances with a 6-1, 6-1 championship win against second-seeded Lilia Asmus and Ruby Lhotka of MACA/WCA at No. 3 doubles. Kennedy Blair is a junior. Sundheim is a sophomore.
Also in the No. 3 doubles bracket, third-seeded eighth-grader Ava Spray and senior Gabby Augeson of the Thunder Hawks settled for third-place with a 6-1, 4-6, 10-0 win against fourth-seeded Gayle Weber and Aidenn Woeste of Sauk Centre.
