Mayo girls tennis team is the team to beat — again
Oct. 20—ROCHESTER — There was a time when the Rochester Mayo girls tennis team couldn't seem to get over the hump. The Spartans had countless appearances in the state championship dual, but never could win it.
Those days are done.
Mayo is pursuing its third straight state crown and is expected to get it in a Class 3A tournament which runs Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of Minnesota's Baseline Tennis Center.
The Spartans have spent the entire season ranked No. 1 as they are buoyed by a foursome of singles players who are all considered top-15-in-the-state talents. That includes No. 2 ranked Malea Diehn and No. 3 Aoife Loftus, as well as No. 6 Ana Medina. Eliana Elder would figure to be in the top 15 if the rankings went that high.
That kind of firepower has so far made Mayo impossible to beat. It enters the state tournament a perfect 22-0, including wins over No. 2-ranked Edina (5-2, twice), No. 2 ranked Minnetonka (4-3; Mayo was missing Loftus), and No. 6 ranked Mounds View (6-1 and 7-0).
Not only does it enter 22-0, it also enters unbeaten over the last three seasons (73-0).
Yes, there is no quibbling about who currently owns the top girls tennis program in the state. And until Diehn and Loftus graduate in 2027, it's likely going to stay that way.
No doubt, things are different than they used to be back when the Spartans were trying to figure out a way to beat then girls tennis dynasty Edina.
Mayo's tennis dynasty is much shorter than was Edina's, but when you go 73-0, it does register.
"We have an X on our backs after winning it the last two years," Mayo coach Jeff Demaray said. "We're not sneaking up on anyone this year. All the other teams are focused on us. We just have to focus on each match and each point, and not worry about who we are playing against or the crowd. We just have to focus on the next point and control what we can control."
Mayo begins the state tournament by playing an opponent it is entirely unfamiliar with, Cambridge-Isanti. The two programs have never met. Cambridge-Istanti enters with a glowing record of 21-2, though that still wasn't enough for them to be given one of the top five seeds.
The teams meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The winner would next play the winner between No. 4 Mounds View and No. 5 Alexandria at 8 a.m. Wednesday in the semifinals. The championship is slated for 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Demaray actually has a goal that is bigger than winning the state championship. It is a goal that he never veers from. It is simply to have as good a time as possible during their stay in the tournament.
"Having a great time is the most important thing," he said. "You can win a state championship and have a lot of fun doing it. We're going to have a great time."
Lake City is in the state team tennis tournament for the first time in its history.
The Tigers got there convincingly, blasting their way past Cannon Falls 6-1 in the Section 1, Class 1A championship. Rylee Thieren, Therese Bauer, Gemma Bauer and Emma Siert didn't drop a set in the singles competition.
Still, despite that domination, Lake City finds itself unseeded in the state tournament and playing No. 2 seed Saint James at noon Tuesday in the first round at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis.
The top seed is Breck.
A loss by Lake City would send it to the 6 p.m. consolation round Tuesday where it would play the loser between No. 3 Foley and unseeded Montevideo.
Lake City coach Nick Dudley loves the look and the chemistry of his team.
"The team chemistry is fantastic," Dudley said. "That and the overall depth of our team is so much improved. We have a chance now to be competitive at all seven spots."
Lake City enters the state tournament 16-1, its lone loss early in the season to Cannon Falls.
