Local tennis players learn their fate

Every team got something it wanted out of last weekend's girls tennis sectionals. No one got everything they were hoping for.

St. Charles North ended Geneva's run of sectional team titles, but qualified half as many players for state as last year. The Vikings must overcome the disappointment of losing the St. Charles East sectional championship by a lone point, but still qualified one singles player and two doubles teams, and have a chance to make a big impression at state.

The Saints will be sending their top singles player and doubles team to state, and should score some points in the tournament, but both struggled a little in the sectional.

West Aurora got just three girls through, but still managed to win its 15th straight sectional. Rosary narrowly missed an opportunity to move up from last year's finish in the sectional standings, but won the singles title and will send three players to state.

One of the best success stories of the postseason is at Batavia, which qualified just one doubles team, but did it in style.

But all of that will be immediately set aside and become yesterday's news the moment the state tournament matches begin Thursday morning.

Here's a closer look:

Batavia:ŒThe Bulldogs qualified doubles team Alexa Schofield, a junior, and sophomore Kim Sawyer. They earned a 17-32 seed.

Schofield and Sawyer looked like they had a strong chance of getting through to state going into the tough Naperville North sectional after having some regular season success against the same teams they'd be facing.

But the Bulldogs duo did more than get through. They won the sectional doubles title, earning them a 17-32 seed, and a real shot at winning some matches at state.

It will be the first trip for each of them, and Sawyer becomes the third member of her family, following older sisters Kristina and Katie, to represent the Bulldogs at the state meet.

"The Sawyers are an athletic family, so making to state has been a goal for Kim," Batavia coach Brad Nelson said.

Geneva:ŒThe Vikings have a No. 9-16 seed with sophomore Kayla Fujimoto, and also two doubles teams: 17-32 seed Blair Selakovich (sr.) and Mary Pelling (jr.)., and Liz Bertrand (sr.) and Krista Panko (jr.).

Geneva had just five returning players this season, and all of them qualified for state. With one of the top singles players, and two high-level doubles teams, the Vikings could be set for a top 10 finish in the team competition.

Fujimoto made an impressive showing at state last season, and is poised to do the same this year. She enters the tournament with a stunning 34-1 record.

This will be Selakovich's fourth trip to state, and the final chapter in a memorable high school career. Pelling is also a state tournament veteran, and together they should rack up some points for the Vikings.

Bertrand and Panko finished third at sectionals, and though they are not seeded, neither are their first round opponents.

"We all know Kayla has the ability to go far," Geneva coach Maureen Weiler said. "Blair and Mary, and Liz and Krista are both solid teams that are playing really well right now, so I'm expecting us to do well."

Rosary:ŒSingles player Emily Reuland, a sophomore who earned a 17-32 seed, will be joined by doubles team Keyly Knechtel, a senior, and freshman Angelina Goheen.

For a few minutes near the end of Saturday's sectional finals at West Aurora, it looked as though the Royals would sneak into second place after finishing third last season. It didn't work out that way, but John Tsang's squad shook that off in a hurry and focused on the successes of a program that is clearly headed in the right direction.

Reuland followed up her Suburban Catholic Conference title with a win in the sectional singles championship. That earned her a 17-32 seed, and she'll be looking to improve on last season's impressive run.

Teaming a senior and a freshman can be a bit tricky sometimes, but it succeeded in a big way for Knechtel and Goheen. Though they are not seeded, they caught a break by drawing another unseeded team in the opening round.

"Emily Reuland has shown that she's one of the best players in the region," Rosary coach John Tsang said. "She should be able to compete very well at the state tournament."

St. Charles East:ŒThe Saints will be represented by junior Stefanie Youngberg and the doubles team of senior Amanda Gomez and freshman Erin Bowman.

The Saints hoped to do better than their two fourth place finishes at sectional. They should have an excellent opportunity to make up for that this weekend.

Youngberg will be returning to state for the third time, where she's always had success in the past. But the junior continues to battle a muscle injury in her right arm. That may prove to be her biggest obstacle as she opens the state tournament against an unseeded opponent.

Gomez and Bowman were hoping to build on the momentum from their Upstate Eight Conference championship but ran into a brutal doubles field in the sectional. Still, they remain a dangerous team. If Gomez can convert her frustration into determination and Bowman continues to play as steady as she has all season long, they are capable of beating seeded teams and sticking around for a while.

"Stefanie is not a 100 percent and I am concerned for her, but she's such a tough competitor and a positive player out there," St. Charles East coach Sena Drawer said. "She's the sort of person who brings so much to a program."

St. Charles North:ŒSt. Charles East sectional champion Annemijn Koenen, a junior, made it in singles, while senior Megan Gow and freshman Liselot Koenen are going in doubles.

First the good news for the North Stars: Annemijn Koenen stunned Fujimoto, handing the Geneva sophomore her first loss of the season in the sectional final. And Gow teamed with Liselot Koenen to win her first sectional crown. Those were the first sectional championships in the program's history, and helped earn 9-16 seeds in the singles and doubles brackets.

Now the bad: One of the North Stars' goals this season was to finish in the top 10 at state. But qualifying just one singles player and a doubles team will make that a more difficult challenge.

Annemijn Koenen opened a lot of eyes at last year's tournament. While she won't sneak up on anyone this time, her game has improved and she has a chance to still be competing Saturday.

Gow is a state tournament veteran, and though the younger Koenen has never competed there before, she has more court experience than many seniors.

"There's a communication and chemistry between those two because they've known each other and hung around together for more than a year," St. Charles North coach Tim Matacio said. "They have a very good dynamic."

West Aurora:ŒSophomore Brooke Henry and senior doubles players Shannon Brooks and Lauren Henry qualified, with Brooks and Henry receiving a 9-16 seed.

The Blackhawks bounced back from their disappointing performance at the DuPage Valley Conference tournament to edge Waubonsie Valley in their sectional. Though they are uncharacteristically sending just three players through to state, all of them have state experience and the potential for an extended stay.

Brooks and Henry have been through it all before, but this is the first time they'll compete at state as a doubles team. They earned a nice spot in the bracket, and could still be playing early Saturday morning.

Brook Henry will play Annie Smith, a 17-32 seed from Jacobs, in the first round. No matter what happens in that match, Henry should be able to win a few and earn some points for the Blackhawks.

"(Brooks and Henry) will have to keep their focus," West Aurora coach Brian Brooks said. "They've been in and out as a doubles team."