THE MEET: The 49th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Individual Tennis Tournament will be held Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 17-19. The meet takes place at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Action will begin Thursday at 10:30 a.m., and resume Friday at 9 a.m. and Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and students.
THE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Oct. 1710:30 a.m. First Round Matches
Friday, Oct. 189 a.m. Action Through Quarterfinals
Saturday, Oct. 198:30 a.m. Consolation Semifinals9 a.m. Championship Singles Semifinals9:30 a.m. Championship Doubles Semifinals10 a.m. Fifth-place Matches11 a.m. Third-place Matches11:30 a.m. Championship Matches
BY THE NUMBERS: There were 201 teams sponsoring girls tennis this fall with 133 in Division 1 and 68 in Division 2. The top four finishers in flight 1 and the top finisher in flight 2 in singles and doubles at each sectional in both divisions qualify for the State Tournament. Also added to the tournament field by the seeding committee will be a maximum of 16 additional singles players and doubles teams in Division 1 and eight singles players and doubles teams in Division 2 that were eliminated earlier in the Tournament Series.
LAST YEAR: Top-seeded Bojana Pozder of Racine Case capped an undefeated season at 39-0 by winning the Division 1 singles championship, defeating second-seeded Logan White of Divine Savior Holy Angels 6-2, 6-0 in the title match. The second-seeded doubles tandem of Annabelle Crowley and Emma Koppa of Nicolet claimed the Division 1 doubles championship with a 6-3, 6-2 decision over top-seeded Karsen Dettman and Maddie Clark of Middleton in the championship match. In Division 2, second-seeded Mia Larrain of Newman Catholic downed top-seeded Olivia Czerwonka of Kenosha St. Joseph 7-5, 6-2 in the title match. In doubles play, top-seeded Megan Setter and Giana Apostoli of Kenosha St. Joseph defeated third-seeded Sarah Gesner and Hailey Stoltenberg of The Prairie School 6-1, 6-0 in the final. Setter also won the 2017 doubles title with a different partner.
DIVISION 1 SINGLES NOTES: Senior Jordan Schifano of Divine Savior Holy Angels was awarded the top seed in the bracket with a 29-1 record this season. She placed fourth last year after a third-place finish in 2017. The four-time qualifier also advanced to the second round as a freshman in 2016. Homestead’s Natalie Yang, a senior, is also a four-time qualifier. She placed third last year after advancing to the second round in 2017 and falling in her opening-round match in 2016. Yang enters this week’s action with a 29-3 mark. Sophomore Zaya Iderzul of Badger is the #3 seed with a 30-1 record this season. She advanced to the third round in her freshman campaign in 2018. Senior Lauren Landstrom of New Berlin Eisenhower is the fourth seed with a 36-3 record. She is a four-time qualifier, finishing sixth last year after advancing to the second round in 2016 and dropping her opening-round match in 2017. Junior Norah Balthazor of De Pere is the fifth seed. She qualifies for the second time, advancing to the third round her freshman season in 2017. This year, she has compiled a 35-2 mark. Junior Autumn Bruno of Whitnall is the sixth seed with a 22-1 record. The three-time qualifier advanced to the fourth round last year after placing fourth as a freshman in 2017. Sophomore Elizabeth Sobieski of Muskego qualifies for the second straight season. She enters the tournament as the seventh seed with a 26-2 record after falling in her opening-round match in 2018. The eighth seed was issued to senior Natasha Bailey of Wausau West with a 29-3 tally for the season. She has qualified in her previous two seasons, advancing to the third round a year ago and to the second round her freshman season.
DIVISION 1 DOUBLES NOTES: Senior Maddie Toboyek and sophomore Lauren Sobieski of Muskego are the #1 seed with their unblemished record of 27-0 entering the State Tournament. Toboyek advanced to the third round with a different partner last season and to the second round with still a different partner in 2017. Sobieski qualified in singles play last season and fell in her opening-round match. Senior Cecile Fuchs and junior Samantha Fuchs of De Forest are also undefeated with a 34-0 record to comprise the second-seeded duo. Both have experience at State in singles play. Cecile is a four-time qualifier, having advanced to the second round last season, to the third round in 2017 and falling in the first round in 2016. Samantha, a three-time qualifier, advanced to the third round last season and to the second round in 2017. Senior Sasha Shapsis and junior Kate Wade of Homestead are the #3 seed with a 28-3 record. Shapsis is a four-time qualifier. She was half of a different set of pairs that finished fifth last season and third in 2016. She advanced to the third round in 2017. Wade finished sixth with a different partner last season and advanced to the third round in 2017. The fourth-seeded tandem is senior Camille Vadas and junior Sophia Knigge of Madison West. They have compiled a 31-3 record this year after qualifying and advancing to the second round last season. Senior Elena Delongschamps and junior Katie Kavanagh of Whitefish Bay are the #5 seed with a 12-4 record. The pair placed fourth in the State Tournament last season. Kavanagh qualified in the singles bracket as a freshman in 2017 and advanced to the second round before being ousted from title contention. Seniors Hailey Haws and Willow Larson of Cedarburg are the sixth-seeded doubles team sporting a 26-4 record. Haws is a four-time qualifier. She advanced to the third round last season with Larson, and to the fourth round in 2017 and to the third round in 2016 with a different partner. Senior Bridget Brown and Ellie Sprinkmann of Homestead are seeded seventh with an undefeated record of 27-0. Brown is a four-time qualifier who teamed with Kate Wade to finish sixth last season. Brown advanced to the third round with Shapsis in 2017 and with another partner in 2016. The eighth-seeded team of senior Grace Cady and freshman Hannah Cady of Arrowhead possesses a 23-6 record. Grace Cady is a three-time qualifier, advancing to the third round last season and to the second round in 2017 with different partners.
DIVISION 2 SINGLES NOTES: Senior Sarah Gesner of The Prairie School received the top seed after qualifying in the doubles bracket the past two seasons. She was half the pair that finished runner-up last year and advanced to the second round in 2017. Gesner enters the State Tournament with a 23-1 record this season. Junior Baluck Deang of Edgewood qualifies for the third straight season. She finished fourth last season after advancing to the third round as a freshman in 2017. Deang has posted a 29-4 record this year. Senior Margaret Bugnacki of Shorewood was issued the #3 seed with a 16-4 mark after finishing sixth last year. Junior Lauren Carson of Catholic Memorial, the fourth seed, qualifies for the third straight season. She placed fifth a year ago after advancing to the second round in 2017. She enters play with a 7-3 mark this season in limited action. Four-time qualifier Shelby Horth of Kohler, a senior, is the fifth seed and looks to advance past the first round for the first time, entering competition with a 22-5 record this year. Sophomore Becky Larrain of Newman Catholic is the sixth seed with a record of 23-7. She qualifies for the second consecutive season after falling in her first-round match last season. Senior Caroline Kowieski of Regis is seeded seventh. She has qualified in each of the past two seasons, advancing to the second round last year. Kowieski has compiled a 9-1 mark in limited action this year. The eighth seed in the bracket is senior Taylor Vyskocil of Ashland, who has compiled a 23-4 record entering play. The three-time qualifier attempts to advance out of the opening round for the first time.
DIVISION 2 DOUBLES NOTES: Senior Ellie Macksood and junior Erika Curtin of Xavier have earned the top seed in the bracket with a 30-0 record this season. Macksood qualified in doubles play last year and advanced to the third round. Curtin, a three-time qualifier, transitions from qualifying in singles play last season, having advanced to the third round. She also placed fourth in the doubles bracket at State with a different partner in 2017. Seniors Grace Gridley and Stephanie Guy of the University School of Milwaukee each advanced to the third round a year ago but with different partners. Gridley also qualified in 2017 and fell in the first round. They are seeded second this season with a record of 17-4. Seniors Jensen Christensen and Grace Tostrud of Monroe comprise the third-seeded duo with a record of 22-4. It’s the second consecutive season the tandem has qualified. They lost their opening-round match-up last season. Seniors Rylee Teuteberg and Alex Sturm of Catholic Memorial combine talents to earn the fourth seed with a 19-8 record. Teuteberg finished fourth with a different partner last season. Sturm also qualified last year but did not advance out of the first round with her partner. Junior Ava Hoffmann and senior Olivia Grose of Kohler are the fifth seed with a 21-8 mark. Hoffman has qualified with a different partner the past two seasons, placing third last year and fifth in 2017. Grose has also qualified with a different partner the past two seasons, attempting to advance out of the first round for the first time. Juniors Alethia Schmidt and Abigail Schewe of Luther Prep return to State for the second straight season. They are seeded sixth with a 15-0 record. Last year, they fell in their first round match. The senior tandem of Phoebe Christenson and Jenna Wahl of Luther remained intact to qualify for the third straight season. They have posted a 28-3 record and are the seventh seed this year after advancing to the second round the past two seasons. The eighth seed in the bracket is the Regis duo of senior Elena Bourget and sophomore Evie Shepich. They have compiled a 21-8 record to this point of the season after qualifying and falling in their first-round match last season.
