Conant takes 2nd at Dundee-Crown

Democracy reigned for Conant at the Dundee-Crown girls tennis invitational Saturday. Cougars’ coach Jennifer Mogge let the players make their own lineups for the dual-team format tournament.

The democratic process worked fairly well, carrying the Cougars to a second-place finish in the 8-team field.

Conant lost on a tiebreaker to McHenry in the final match. McHenry swept the 2 singles matches while the Cougars won both doubles matches, but McHenry took the title on the basis of total games won, 32-30.

Jacobs defeated Palatine, 4-0, in the third-place match.

In the finals, Conant’s No. 1 doubles team, Faith Meitzler and Kano Jockish, won 6-4, 6-0, while the second doubles squad, Vinutha Lakshminanaya and Natalia Migdal, won 6-2, 6-2.

In singles, McHenry’s Emma Romme and Brittany Goebel, downed Alex Bahadri and Nicole Zawacki in straight sets.

“This is a tournament we really like because you move as a team,” said Mogge. “I let the girls pick their lineup. They obviously did a great job, because we lost it by 2 games. They figured out how hard it is to be a coach. They didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I think it really brings the team together a lot more by making those decisions together.”

Jacobs swept all 4 spots in the third-place match.

Alina Zabolotico got the Golden Eagles off to a good start at number one singles, downing Palatine’s Marissa Plesniak, 6-1, 6-0.

Consistency was the key for Zabolotico.

“It was tough because it’s the last match of the day and I was tired, but you have to stay focused,” she said later.

Kassy Bernardo won for Jacobs at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-3. In doubles, the Eagles’ No. 1 team of Marcilyn Rowan and Lauren Steinkamp won handily, 6-1, 6-2, while the No. 2 squad of Anna Taylor and Autumn Hackett won 6-3, 6-3.

Conant advanced to the final by defeating St. Edward in the quarterfinals and Palatine in the semis. McHenry beat Schaumburg and Jacobs en route to the finals.

The host Chargers wound up in sixth place overall.